My Hard To Believe Mythological Experience
by Mr. Omelette
Summary: [complete] Of course Theo had to be nosy and get himself dragged into the lore of three pantheons. Well, meeting the alluring, mysterious, never-really-present-and-supposed-lab-partner of his, who's actually kinda cute (not that he'd tell her, duh) whom he decided to meet, might be a perk to all these Chaos. CHAPTER 23, Epilogue and Sequel Preview
1. Chapter 1

Title: _**My Hard to Believe Mythological Experience**_

Chapter 1: I meet a helhest

* * *

To be an _**Einherjar**_

a hero must die a most _noble_ and selfless death.

A _**valkyrie**_ chooses her _**einherjar**_

but what happens when her current incarnation is _incomplete_?

* * *

My name is–well it's not important.

You see, I'm just your average Joe. The guy who sits by the window in class. One who gets the B+ grades, and is average in anything recreational. You know, the small town boy who blends well through the moving crowd. That kind of guy. At least, I was one weeks ago.

Weird things start to happen when you add me with a non-existing lab partner, some Mist, and a three-legged, fire-breathing zombie horse.

So yeah, _weird_.

Are you still there? Yes? Well I suppose I should tell you the whole story.

The lab partner I was talking about is a girl named Daphne, Daphne Smith. According to her records, she is supposed to be a student at my school. Except no one really knows her–even seen her for that matter.

At first I didn't pay any attention. Probably since I came to the conclusion that she's some troubled youth. Seriously though, I have never been so wrong in my life.

Okay, so I was cleaning my room (big surprise there) and I managed to find a stack of yearbooks somewhere underneath my pile of comic books. My yearbooks. I was curious, and bored, so I thought, 'what the heck!'

I really wanted to compare my looks from before too.

Skimming though the dusty pages, I was surprised to find my lab partner's name on it.

In our first grade class picture she was this little thing with shoulder length blond hair with pale green eyes and a sunny smile, even if her two front teeth were missing. We were located very far from each other; she sat in the middle beside Ms. Evans and I sat with my good buddies Terry and Tony by the edge.

Grade two was similar, except Terry's dad got a job from somewhere and had to move to another place. Her seat was still beside the teacher, and I was with Tony, making bunny ears when he wasn't looking.

And as the years went by, I'd seen her turn more and more reserved. I recall this shy classmate once. It resembled the girl from these pictures. But I don't know, my memory seems to be jogged up. Finally, by fifth grade, she was gone. Not gone _gone._ I was talking about–well it's kinda complicated.

Why are you looking at me like that?

Okay, fine I'll try to explain. There is still a Daphne Smith in my yearbooks, but they didn't have any pictures. Just a blank frame.

Now, _that_ that got me curious. In a way, I was already interested (not obsessed) about her. What she looked like and why she was not attending school. And for a while I kind of waited for her at school. It didn't take long to finally burn off all my patience. So I decided to ask people like my teachers and school mates if they knew why she doesn't go to school.

You'd think they'd have normal reactions, right? Wrong. The odd thing is that whenever her name is brought up, they'd recognize her (like they knew her personally), however, when I ask what happened to her and why she doesn't go to class they'd all ask me why I was asking something so peculiar. The school registrar almost threw me out of her office too, and she's a very approachable person.

I think it's even gotten to the point that _my _– our! – school requirements were being held back. So I asked around again, and by lunch time I'd known her address.

* * *

Standing in front of her home, I couldn't help but feel curious. Or rather, even _more_ curious. For her house looked homey, well-maintained–even ordinary. Just like all the southern houses here in Mississippi.

Their garden was wonderful; it had a combination of wild flowers and a well-trimmed lawn. Even if it was relatively small (I think I should say modest), the architecture was also quite admirable with the brick walls and stuff.

With my bike beside me and my backpack slung lazily on my shoulder, I made my way closer to their front door.

No doorbells, so I knocked three times.

I heard some shuffling, a few muffled sounds and maybe some incoherent music too. But what caught my ear were the clicking footsteps.

I'm sure it was heels because my mom makes the same sound whenever she'd pass by my room. For no apparent reason I felt nervous. I've never felt like this before. Then again I was going to a non-existent classmate's home. So I guess that explained my worries. But I tell you, it's not a very pleasant feeling.

The door opened and a tall, nice-looking lady stood before me. Her green eyes looked at me questioningly.

"Um…" I started shifting uncomfortably.

She titled her head just a little bit, and her straight sandy-colored hair followed gracefully.

She was beautiful. Albeit older than me, but very beautiful. Like she was a cross between a supermodel and an a-list actress with a hint of that 'southern hospitality' in her features.

All words had left me. I didn't know what to say to this lady. _Hi! I'm supposedly your daughter's classmate, only thing is, she's never been to my class before._ Not a good way to start a conversation.

Somehow I managed to stutter a few words, 'Daphne', 'lab partner', and 'important.' And I knew, by default I had already humiliated myself.

"I-Is this w-where Daphne lives?" I tried to rephrase my sentence after she had given me looks of ire and confusion.

"Yes," she nodded, "Daphne lives here." She introduced herself as Jane Smith, her mother, and I told her my story; that I was Daphne's classmate and lab partner at Chemistry class, however, I didn't tell her about Daphne's mysterious absences because something told me I shouldn't.

She perked up immediately after I mentioned _classmate_ –it seems that she thinks her daughter goes to class regularly.

Everything after that was a blur. I was guided inside the house and into their living room with her mother's incessant chatter. And before I knew it, I was sitting on their living room couch.

I admired the sights of the room. For what it's worth, it looked like a memorabilia shrine rather than a living room.

Jane noticed me eying the room, "Daphne likes to collect stuff." Her tone was gentle, like she found it endearing. And maybe I would too if I wasn't so creeped out with the amount of trinkets and thingamabobs. Believe me, there are at least hundreds, if not thousands of them!

They were figurines everywhere and despite the fact that there were six display cabinets, there were still more that ended up on coffee tables, walls, even the floor. It's got everything too, from stuffed animals; to porcelain dolls, action figures and I can even swear there was a Happy Meal toy collection somewhere by the window beside a framed display of bottle caps.

"She's uh… a collector?" I asked the obvious, touching a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle action figure. I couldn't tell if it was Michael Angelo or Donatello because the paint had chipped off and the weapons they were supposed to be holding were not there.

Mrs. Smith grinned a little; "You should see her room." she then excused herself and made her way out of the living room as her daughter was doing something in their backyard.

I shrugged off my backpack and placed it by my feet while I sat patiently on one of their cream-colored couches.

Somehow, I felt out of place because the living room was nice and I was wearing clothes like a hobo. You know; shirt with print and color fading, loose and baggy day-old jeans, worn-in sneakers and a graying black cotton jacket.

Somehow, I wished I had worn something more presentable because the look Mrs. Smith gave earlier made me uncomfortable. Like I was being scrutinized.

I've even gone so far as to try and _make_ myself presentable; I tried raking my hand over my tousled hair. I used my handkerchief to wipe some imaginary dirt off my face, I even readjusted my jeans just so I wouldn't look like a boy in men-sized clothing. But that didn't worked well; my hair ended up looking more tousled than before, my face looked reddish (like a sunburn) from all the harsh wiping, and my jeans just reverted to the way it looked like before. After awhile I got frustrated. And I let out a muffled yell. Futile. I know. My efforts were all useless. Especially since two sets of footsteps came nearer.

Mrs. Smith entered with a girl I would've mistaken as her younger replica. Make sense too since they were mother and daughter. However I realized that the younger 'replica' looked slightly irritated.

It was Daphne and she had this curious look on her face upon seeing me. Of course the annoyance was still there.

"Well," Mrs. Smith clapped her hands, "Does anyone want refreshments?" she then looked at me and her daughter, and before I could say anything else, she had already exited the room.

"Who are you and why are you here?" she asked briskly, though her voice was crisp and thin. Like a whisper.

I held up my hand, after I stood up "I'm Theo. And I'm your lab partner… apparently."

She looked at me hesitantly and then took my extended hand and shook it twice.

"I don't even go to school…" she grumbled.

"You don't?" I tilted my head a little.

She looked straight into my eyes and was silent for at least five whole seconds. "Yes, I stopped going to school at–"

"Fifth grade?" I finished for her. She sat on a couch oppositely located from mine and I think I saw a flash of fear cross her face. Then it turned into a look of anger.

"Who sent you?" she said it with such a force that I took one step back, and almost fell down onto the couch.

"I don't know what you mean."

She stomped her foot, "Who. Sent. You."

"Really," I tried to placate, "I have no idea what you're talking about,"

She stood up, a little peeved at her own outburst, "I-I…" she looked so lost. Confused. Like she was _insa_-no I don't want to say it.

I tried comforting her. Telling her that I wasn't sent by anyone and that I didn't want to do something bad to her.

But Daphne didn't listen. She started barking these things; that I was being tracked, or I was used to locate her. She even said that I might be a scapegoat for the gods… _gods_.

I still don't want to say it.

"Listen… I–" I froze mid-sentence when I head a loud crash by the kitchen.

My head turn to where it came from, and I just realized that the disruption was really close–like somewhere in the other room.

Daphne was already hot on her heels and I followed her, thinking that maybe Mrs. Smith had an accident.

Oh, it was an accident alright. But it was something I would've never imagined.

"Mom?"

"Mrs. Smith? Is everything–"

There is no easy way to describe the following events, probably because you would never believe me (trust me on this one because even _I_ was having trouble believing what happened to _me_). The kitchen was a mess. Most of the decorations and furniture were toppled and splintered, with pieces littering the floor. Kitchenware and cutlery were scatted everywhere. The sink had exploded, and a small pool of water was forming around the destroyed faucet. Some of the cupboards were fine but most of them were obliterated.

Mrs. Smith was on the floor unconscious, her head bleeding.

Both of us (Daphne and I) would've rushed to her aid if it weren't for the three (yes, three) legged zombie horse inside the kitchen.

Literature and mythology might not be my forte, but I didn't receive that B- on my midterm literature exam for nothing. Norse Mythology. Helhest–servant of Hel, queen of Niflheim. It had two of its feet on the front while the one on the back was aligned with its tail. Instead of a mane, green flames danced on where it should be. Its eyes were completely blood red, and its body… it looked like a rotting horse. It's a good thing it didn't smell like one–it did smell like some embalming chemical I smelt once at a funeral though.

Its presence made the temperature of the area drop. And as the room temperature dropped, I could see my breath. My skin started to sting from the cold, and a puddle of water turned into a thin sheet of ice.

I could feel Daphne move, but my eyes were still glued onto the zombie horse.

"Theo." Daphne whispered beside me. Both of our gazes were focused on the monster in the kitchen, which was now eating Cheerios off the floor.

"You have to leave now." She said.

"What about you? And… _THAT_." I pointed to the still-oblivious thing in the kitchen

"I'll be… fine." She looked, I don't know, prepared or something. Like she had seen one of these things before.

"What about your mom?" I asked, looking at Mrs. Smith's form lying on the floor.

She stepped forward, holding her left arm. When I looked closer, she was holding a very thin but shimmery chain.

"I'll handle it."

It looked like she would face this thing. Absurd, stupid, and brave maybe. But I wanted to reason the matter out with her. Or even help her too if not for my shaky legs that wouldn't move.

I willed myself to take one step forward, "I-I…" I placed a hand on her arm, "I want to help you."

She turned to me, "No. It's best for you to leave. Now."

If it weren't for the fact that the temperature inside the kitchen was probably way past freezing point and if my legs weren't shaking so much, I would've been angry at her. Who does she think I am? A coward? Well, maybe I _am_ afraid but that doesn't mean I didn't want to help her. However, I got the feeling that the mere presence of the helhest was making me grow wearier. Because I felt like I should just curl into a ball and start wailing. And I think it was clouding my common sense a little bit.

"No. I wan–"

The horse made a noise. It was a cross between a neigh and some deathly scream.

I thought my legs would've turned to jelly from that bloodcurdling sound. It was the scariest thing I've ever heard in my life. Good thing, I had relieved my bladder before going to Mrs. Smith's house because I knew it wouldn't stay strong for me.

Daphne cursed, and started to tug my arm, "He's seen us. Quick! We have to get out of here."

I was half-dragged and half-running toward the exit. I didn't think Daphne was this athletic person. She looked more like a scholarly type to me. Alas, I found myself trying to keep up with her speed as she pulled my hand as we ran out of the room.

Behind me was the slow clicking of hooves, and I didn't dare look back.

We were now closing in on the front door, and Daphne pushed it open. Once outside my jaw dropped. Before I came here, it was a particularly warm day, with the Christmas holidays nearing. The sun was out and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. Now, as Daphne and I ran for our lives, I noticed that the sky was covered with grayish clouds, and a thick fog had enveloped the whole neighborhood.

I think Daphne read my thoughts because she slowed down, "It's the effect of–" she started but the zombie thing made another deathly cry. And galloping steps were heard in the background.

I heard one last neigh when the thing chasing us jumped from behind and landed in front of us.

Damn. We were almost across the lawn too.

The ground had gone soft and squishy due to the fog. My feet were at least a couple of centimeters deep in the soil. _Not good_.

A small drop of water fell on my face, and I realized that it was was starting to rain. Great. With this weather, even _I _knew it will hinder our movements. Especially me since my clothes turned heavier as it got soaked.

I turned to Daphne; perhaps thinking that maybe I could distract the monster long enough for her to flee. I was already dead with my wet, heavy clothes and my feet slowly sinking on the mushy soil so it would've been better going down for something, right? And then I noticed that she wasn't faring too well either. The white flats she was wearing didn't look like it was for running. And it was soiled and was sinking in the mud just like my sneakers. Her cargo jeans were wet. And her shirt and jacket–I looked away, blushing madly. Or, rather, Daphne pushed my head away.

"Boys…" I heard her mutter.

I feel pathetic. I mean, here we are running for our lives and I'm here checking things I shouldn't check.

Before I could apologize, I noticed her getting feint and weak. She stumbled a bit and I caught her before she fell flat on the ground.

"Hey!" I yelled, trying to shake her awake while shielding her from the monster. I know it was an unwise move since I had my back facing my–our potential killer.

"Wake up!" I cried desperately. I suppose it was no use. She was already out cold.

The best I could do was carry her to safety. But it would have taken a huge stroke of luck to make it out of the situation alive. With the terrain and weather against us, an enemy who could probably out run us, and our clothes adding more weight than necessary, I was coming to the conclusion that we were doomed from the start.

Should I leave her? No. She doesn't deserve to be abandoned, even if she is kind of kooky. And besides even if I tried, I think the monster would still be able to catch me.

So that's it, I'm carrying her. Rain or no rain. Monster or no monster. I would try.

I was about to piggyback her when her eyes shot open.

"Daphne…" I gave a sigh of relief. But I noticed that instead of her green pupils, here eyes were an eerie shade of deep purple.

She stood up and faced the demon. She flipped her hair once, and stood bravely in front of the monster. Not that I was affected by it.

"Uh… Daphne." I managed to say. Okay, maybe I was affected. Don't blame me, she looked like a knockout! Even with wet hair and drenched clothing.

However, after I'd admired her, I noticed something very different. Aside from the purple orbs (that I could have mistaken as my imagination playing tricks on me), her posture shifted. Her overall aura had turned stronger. Even the way she carried herself was different. It reminded me of one of the PTSD soldiers my mom had counseled once. Her stance was… warrior like. Proud and dignified.

"Foul wretched demon." She exclaimed. Wow. Even her tone and accent was different from before. "You have no place here!" Her southern accent was gone, and her tone sounded regal and aristocratic.

The chain in her left hand emitted light and I had to shield my eyes. Still I could see Daphne use her right hand to touch the glowing bracelet.

She pulled the chain off her wrist and the light followed, expanding, elongating, then shrinking until the light dimmed and started to fade. When I stopped shielding my eyes, Daphne now held a four foot long rapier in her hand.

Floored, I was. That's for sure. I had to rub my eyes just to see if my they were deceiving me. Then again, with the helhest still here, I doubt they were. Or I could be dreaming.

"You who serve the dark lady," she said calmly, raising her weapon, "Begone!"

She pointed it to the monster that started rushing towards us.

"I am Lady Valkyrie, and you abominations are not allowed in this realm!" Daphne yelled, charging forward.

Just what the heck is going on?

* * *

DISCLAIMER:** The following is a work of FICTION**

**The events, characters and names are fictional and/or derived from real mythology**

**and the Percy Jackson and Kane Chronicles series are owned by Rick Riordan**

**By writing this fanfic, no offense is intended to anyone**


	2. Chapter 2

Title: _**My Hard to Believe Mythological Experience**_

Chapter 2: I dream about this cord and KOs

* * *

To be an _**Einherjar**_

a hero must die a most _noble_ and selfless death.

A _**valkyrie**_ chooses her _**einherjar**_

but what happens when her current incarnation is _incomplete_?

* * *

Okay, I've had it weird.

First there's this non-existing classmate I visited. Then all of a sudden this thing from Norse Mythology–a helhest shows up (if you're wondering, it's a three-legged zombie horse). And to top it all of, the aforementioned classmate happens to be bipolar or something.

Oh, let's not forget, said bipolar person is currently brandishing potentially harmful weapon.

I was glued to my spot. My legs wouldn't budge and kept on shaking. I suppose most of you are thinking how much of a wuss I am, and probably you're right.

"Back to the abyss with you!" Daphne–my classmate charged forward but the enemy dodged.

They fought for a few moments; Daphne used her weapon quite effortlessly while the monster breathed fire. Personally, she looked like she was dancing. Her movement was fluid and so trance-like.

Pathetically, I watched them. I suppose I didn't know what to do.

The horse shot a well-placed kick on her chest and Daphne narrowly evaded it by using her solid weapon to deflect it. I didn't even know you could deflect strong blows using thin blades; it looked pretty brittle to me. She staggered for a bit and then made a thrusting motion with her sword, stabbing it.

The helhest let out a cry of pain, which frankly sounded like a scream and a neigh. When she pulled her weapon out I had expected blood to start pouring out from its wound. Instead silver sand started to pour out from its injury, like a sand bag would when you stab it.

The monster thrashed about and it fell down on the floor convulsing. It cried one last time before it exploded into a pile of silver shimmery dust. For some odd reason, it didn't get wet from the rain.

Wow. She totally pwned that monster all by herself! With a piece of brittle looking metal too!

Daphne whipped her sword once and raised it in front of her chest, like she was saying prayer, "I bid thee farewell." Then the pile of dust started to rise, as if being carried by the wind, and slowly dispersed into the air.

While that was happening, I noticed the weather turning better; the rain stopped and the clouds were starting to thin, uncharacteristically if I might add. You know like those cheesy shows with those cheap computer graphics. Only this time it was really happening.

Okay, so what was I doing all this time? Staring stupidly of course. I suppose what happened was pretty cool. In an odd, scary way. My adrenaline rush was still there by the time I managed to gather my wits.

I saw Daphne throw her weapon up into the air. For a moment it felt like an illusion because when it landed on her palm, it turned back to her bracelet.

"Uh…" I stammered lamely. I didn't know what to say. Her back was facing me and in a heartbeat, I felt that her aura shifted back.

Turning around, she wobbled a bit as she tried to walk. She looked dazed too, like she just finished riding the steepest roller coaster.

I ran to her, and tried to support her weight by slinging her arm around me.

_What?_ She looked like she might pass out any second with her pale complexion and chilly skin. I think she'd much prefer my help than to fall on the floor. Besides, it's the least I could do for her. Right? Let's not forget that I might also explode into a pile of dust if I freak out or something.

"Are you okay?" I decided to as her, as opposed to asking about the weird things happening. Slowly, I guided her back into her house and went straight to the living room.

I made her sit on one of the couches and I sat beside her–just for support! What're you all thinking?

"I-I can't…what happened?" she asked holding her head. Her purple eyes were gone, and it was just her green ones. I suppose it was just my imagination after all.

"You," that's weird. Why can't she remember what she did herself, "sent it back to the abyss?" I wasn't convinced with what I said. My words don't even sound coherent.

"I…what?" I wanted to tell her that she had referred to herself as Valkyrie–Chooser of the Slain–but I was uncomfortable since I think I might sound insane if I told her. It's not like I believe her. But then there's the whole helhest thing from earlier.

_Argh!_ I don't know what to believe in anymore.

But still, I tried to explain.

Her face stared at me in shock as then it shifted to something different. Humorous.

"You're joking, right? Me? A Valkyrie…" see, I made myself look like a nutcase.

"Duh." I met her gaze and gave her an 'are-you-kidding-me' look. I grabbed her left arm and pointed out that her bracelet could turn into a rapier.

"I don't know what you're talking about." She said as she pulled her hand back. I was about to apologize when she shot up, "Mom!"

Oh yeah! With all the action we sort of forgot about Mrs. Smith, who was out cold in the kitchen.

Before I could follow her however, she stopped me, "I think it's best if you… rest." She said hesitantly, looking at me as if _I_ was the crazy one.

"Go home." She said in a final tone, "I'll call the school and clarify the mix-up."

Normally, pride and stubbornness would get to me, but my nerves were starting to ease up and my adrenaline rush was fading fast. And maybe, before I knew it, I might pass out. My mind was starting to get clearer too since I was beginning to think that I was only having a very strong hallucination.

"Okay." I felt extremely exhausted too for some reason. I mean, for someone who just stood the whole time like some sitting duck, I was very tired.

"Don't you need my help?" I asked one more time as I stood up.

I don't know if it was something I had said because Daphne smiled at me. And it didn't look forced.

"I'll be fine." She reassured, her smile grew a bit.

I nodded and left for home, picking up my bike that somehow fell from its standing position. With one last glance at Daphne's home, I made my way to mine.

* * *

My home was just a couple of blocks away. And since I was using my bike, it only took me a couple of minutes. I had passed my neighbor Mr. John, a bakery owner, who was on his way to pick his daughter up from ballet lessons. I greeted him as well as the other people I knew as I passed them.

The unexpected rain had made the pavement slippery, and I had to slow down a couple of times to avoid skidding. Soon, I was home. My modest, two-story southern home. I parked my bike by the entrance and going through the front door, I passed by mom's office. I call it the happy room because that's the place where her… patients go.

You see, my mom's a shrink. A psychologist. And a very good one at that.

Her patients ranged from prominent people like politicians–sometimes people from the entertainment industry–to ordinary people with very specific needs. Like soldiers with PTSD, divorcing couples, maybe even a few suicidal ones too, I suppose, though I rarely get to see one (mom says they're very… temperamental).

Thing is, what she's best known for is her thing with kids. Social workers call my mom the go-to-shrink for troubled or traumatized kids. She has this magic touch that could make kids spill everything.

Yeah, so she works a lot but that doesn't mean I'm neglected. I suppose with her being a psychologist and all made her parenting skills, more than enough. And frankly, I think I like our mother-son time no matter how embarrassing that sounds. Sure sometimes we get a little antsy, me mostly, but I think its all part of a working relationship (hey, I quoted my mom!)

And my dad? Never knew him. Mom dodges the whole issue whenever the issue comes out. Sometimes I would catch her with this foreign look. A look I'd never imagine my mom would have. Like he'll return one day. Sounds and looks pretty weird to me, so I try to avoid bringing him out in conversations.

Anyway, it doesn't matter.

I'm fifteen now. It's childish. It's stupid. And I'm tired.

All that does matter is that right now there's a room here with a bed that has my name on it.

* * *

Truthfully, I've never dreamt so vividly before. And the fact that I could utilize all of my senses took it to the next level.

Anyway, I was back at Daphne's house. The front door was open and I slowly entered the house. Somehow something at the back of my mind was telling me where I was supposed to go.

I passed by the kitchen and a look of surprise came into my face. Earlier, I was sure everything was thrashed. Now, everything was fixed and orderly–even the kitchen sink and faucet. Like nothing ever happened. Then it occur to me that I was dreaming, so anything goes right?

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw something move.

I didn't follow it of course, why would I? And then I realized I could move very freely in this dream. Heck, I could even think in this dream. Normally, thinking in a dream is close to impossible. And no, I wasn't talking about being stupid either.

However, I suddenly felt I was being pulled and when I blinked, I was inside a room. It was a little dark, and the only light present was from a dimly lit side lamp by the bed. It had beige walls, a white ceiling and a couple of furniture. There was an average-sized bed placed by the window, a desk with a couple of stacked books, and display cabinets with a lot of figurines and junk.

_You should see her room_. I remembered Mrs. Smith's words. Maybe this was Daphne's room?

"You're mother will be fine." I heard a voice say and I turned to a hall-open closet.

It creaked a little bit and out came Daphne in her pajamas–er, nightgown.

I've never seen a girl aside from my mother in those things before. I mean, I usually scold my mom when she parades around the house wearing those things. Imagine me when you take it to the next level! And with a stranger too. It feels, pretty inappropriate.

Okay, so maybe I kinda gawked for a second or two, and maybe I had a full-blown blush going on, but once I saw what she was holding my hand I forgot about it. In her hand is an ordinary looking handheld mirror.

Did I forget to mention that she was talking to her own reflection?

Maybe she's a happy patient or something?

"I hope she does, it's a good thing my dad bought our excuse. " Daphne said placing her mirror near her desk. She grabbed a comb and took a seat in front of her mirror.

Somehow I felt the need to look at her reflection.

"The Mist has been around for thousands of years." While Daphne brushed her hair, her reflection mimicked. However, I had to look back and forth between the real thing and the mirror to see what was really happening.

The reflection's mouth wasn't following Daphne's closed mouth; like the reflection is talking to the real thing.

I peered closer and through the dim lighting I saw her eye color.

Purple.

I turned to Daphne.

Green.

"What does the Mist do exactly?" the green-eyed girl asked.

"No one really knows, Daphne. But it makes lies seem the truth." Her reflection said following Daphne's lead–placing the comb back to the desk.

Daphne titled her head, "I don't understand." Her reflection followed her, but its lips didn't.

"Ordinary mortals are very… gullible. They see what they want to see. Hear what they want to hear. When we said your mother slipped and banged her head, you dad would believe it with a little bit of the Mist because that's what he would find as the logical explanation."

Daphne nodded, "So the reason why our neighbors had mistaken the monster for a horse was because of the Mist?"

Her reflection smiled, "I taught you well."

Daphne giggled, "Gosh, Valkyrie, you know a lot of things." It was kind of weird watching a real conversation between a person and reflection. But what's weirder is the fact that the reflection had followed the laughing reaction of Daphne's body (you know, the wrinkling of the eyes, shrugging of the shoulder and stuff) except her mouth was totally a different thing. Devoid of any mirth. And it's kinda creepy.

"Knowledge comes with time and experience." I could've sworn the reflection had a ghost of a smile in her face.

"But," her smile faded, "there is one thing bothering me."

Daphne must've read her reflection's thoughts (or maybe it was her own thoughts? It's confusing) because she pursed her lips, "It's that guy… Theo."

I stiffened.

"There are only few mortals who could see through the Mist." Daphne's reflection turned grim, "It's a very rare trait. That… or maybe–" she stopped, and for a second, I saw her reflection's eyes turn green.

"Valkyrie?" Daphne called. Her reflections lips followed own lips' movement.

She called a second time, and "Sorry about that." Her reflection's pupils turned darker, reverting back to its original purple shade, "What was the topic of our conversation again?" It wasn't just the lips and the eyes this time; her whole reflection was entirely on the motion of its own. For her head was turned sideways and her eyes were on me.

"Theo." Daphne said, I think she isn't noticing her reflection no longer following her. Then again, maybe this was a normal occurrence.

"What about him?" her reflection's gaze didn't leave mine. I think Daphne realized that her reflection didn't want to talk about it because she sighed and slouched.

"I wonder if he's okay." She sighed, "Did the Mist affect him too?"

"Perhaps," her reflection said, looking at me with fierce eyes, "You should ask him yourself."

Daphne scratched her temple, "Wait… what?" she turned to where her reflection gaze was fixated at.

"He's here right now." I saw the reflection raise a hand and point at me, "Over ther–"

I tensed up, and lucking (or unluckily) for me, before anything else could happen, some pulling sensation came over me.

And my world turned black.

* * *

When I came about, I realized how indefinitely dark the room is. For some reason, it reminded me of the expression, 'stick it in where the sun doesn't shine.' It was cold too, but the strangest thing is, I could see myself despite the lack of light.

Heat. I could feel fire somewhere behind me, and I knowingly turned around. There, I saw a table. On it was a dais unlike anything I've ever seen. It was made from this shimmery stone whose color kept on shifting. First it was blue, then purple, then green. Floating above the dais was a ball of flame, like a small compact sun or a star.

Before I could move closer, two figures materialized.

"A brother of Chaos requests my presence?" I couldn't make out their faces because the fire of the small orb danced wildly. The only thing I could see was their cloaked figures.

Another voice, one that had a pitch a bit higher than the other, laughed, "Indeed."

I could see them more now, and the one who laughed was shorter than the other. "I have a proposition to tell you. A proposition of instigating a feat greater than Ragnarok itself."

"Hm…?" It didn't sound that the taller man was impressed. "My pantheon has existed unaffected even after four cycles of your so-called apocalypse."

"You forget," there was acid in shorter man's voice, "those fools have only prevented my efforts into full fruition – as Ragnarok _will_ devour the world to its end." He waved a dismissive hand, "And besides, I have come across a power that exceeds far more than what my _measly_ pantheon could offer."

"You do realize what this thing is?" he added, raising a hand, indicating the glowing orb. The taller man was silent. "I recall a being whose sired a son name Helios."

"A god who holds a tithe of my late-lord's true power." The taller man agreed.

He nodded, "This here," he waved a hand and the dais moved forward, "Is a fragment of his forgotten power."

"Get on with it." The man said, growing impatient.

"Oh, dearest older brother, I merely want to pique your interest. Is it any wonder why I am talking as –what mortals call it- a salesman?"

Just what the hell is with this people? They sound ridiculous.

When the taller man chose to answer with silence, the short man sighed, "What if I were to bring you the power of your fallen lord?"

"You foul barbarian I–"

"What I hold is power." He interrupted, "An ancient power scattered all throughout the world. Today, this power is small –smaller even than the smallest speck of dust." He indicated the ball of flame. "But on the upcoming days…" He then snapped his fingers, and a similar orb, one that has a blue flame appeared beside it.

"Mix them together," and the two orbs became one, turning into a bigger orb but with green flame. The light it emitted was brighter, and I could start seeing the outlines of the room. Like furniture and other things. However, there was this trembling feeling stirring in me as I tried to look at the small ball of flame. Like it was a power not to be tempered with.

"Should our sister be told of the happenings in this hall?" the older man asked out of the blue, "After all, any god representing discord and chaos should need to hear your… ambitions."

"And what of our younger sister?" the shorter man challenged, "she who could only offer little to null efforts in my grand scheme of plans. Besides, her love for her twin would cloud her judgment. And for the betterment of chaos and discord, it is best for her to stay in her own prison. Eris cares too deeply for Harmonia to rip the scales between discord and order. So, dear brother, she will not meddle with us."

The green orb flared once, and I was pushed back harshly. It felt like a sixteen-wheeler truck on its maximum speed hitting you point blank. I tried sitting up but this force was pinning me on the ground.

"What have you done?" the older man said, and I could see him getting enveloped in a red aura, "Have you any idea what were to happen if you would totally oppose Order?"

At this point I have no idea what they're talking about.

"Discord would not exist if Order were to be completely eradicated." He slammed his hand on the table, and a pulse stronger than the one earlier came to me, sending me back further than where I was.

"This is why we _only_ meddle. Destruction would not lead to discord in the long run." I tried to see, but I couldn't even move. It was like; the gravity around me has increased tenfold. And I feared that I might get crushed with this pressure.

The younger man sighed, "I thought I could recruit you to my cause, Set. But it appears, you are also skeptical of my ambitions." I could feel the heat inside the room intensify, and I heard the older man scream in pain.

"You dare use the power of Ra for this defiling act?" he screamed between his cries of pain.

"Ra?" the younger man screamed disbelievingly, "That old fool has yet to be found. What I hold is just the remnants of Helios' power." I felt another pulse, "A power that will grow should I decide to restore it to its true form." The pain was unbearable and I let out a scream.

Suddenly, the weight on me lifted, and the strong heat vanished.

"It appears I was careless," a voice said as I tried sitting up. I met his eyes, his cruel eyes that I could foresee true terror in. The green orb was floating above his hand. To his side, the older man was pinned into an invisible wall, cloak scorching in green fire.

"Perhaps, a sacrifice–" I panicked. I didn't even know what was happening. And what they were talking about and now this whacko was shouting sacrifice.

Sacrifices never sounded good too.

I looked at the man writhing, and I felt words coming into my head. Like a message in his voice.

Before I could register what it was, the same pulling sensation came over. And I was whisked away. In a strong scorching gust of wind and sand.

* * *

DISCLAIMER:** The following is a work of FICTION**

**The events, characters and names are fictional and/or derived from real mythology**

**and the Percy Jackson and Kane Chronicles series are owned by Rick Riordan**

**By writing this fanfic, no offense in intended to anyone**

* * *

**NOTES:** I guess this is the chapter where I tie things up with the two series. So Loki, wanted to see if Set would join him. Too bad Set doesn't want to a world of pure chaos. Which reminds me, I think I might explain the mechanics of the structure of power in fic in the next chapters.


	3. Chapter 3

Title: _**My Hard to Believe Mythological Experience**_

Chapter 3: no longer ordinary days

* * *

To be an _**Einherjar**_

a hero must die a most _noble_ and selfless death.

A _**valkyrie**_ chooses her _**einherjar**_

but what happens when her current incarnation is _incomplete_?

* * *

I jolt up from my bed, with perspiration all over my entire body.

The older man's parting words were like a tattoo imprinted on my memory–only incomplete.

"Protect _her_ from the–" was what he said.

At least, that's what I could recall him say.

Beads of sweat covered my face, and I felt that areas of my clothes were wet. I've never had nightmares of this intensity before. One in which the pain still lingers, even after you've woken up. I should know; my body felt like it went through an intensive week of nonstop PE classes.

_It was just a dream_. I tried to tell myself. But the eyes of the shorter man when he looked at me still sent shivers down my spine. And it was vivid. The fear. The agony I would've felt. It was all too real.

I heard sizzling noises downstairs and I realized that I had slept through the entire night. Judging by the amount of sunlight seeping through my thick curtains, it was probably morning already. The smell of bacon reached my nose, and my stomach grumbled almost immediately. I missed dinner too.

Hastily, I took a shower, brushed my teeth and pulled out random clothes from the drawer. Brown khaki shorts, an ordinary teal shirt. Nothing special. At least, I think I looked more presentable than I did yesterday (with my hobo look and all). Heck, I even combed my hair (though my hair will forever be a lost case).

Anyway, I slipped on my worn-in sneakers and went to the kitchen. The smell of the food being cooked made my mouth water, and I think my stomach growled. Not a good combination with my aching body.

Mom placed more strips of bacon, and the sizzling sounds it made were music to my ears. "Bad dream?" she asked, eying me with a raised brow.

I shrugged. I did not completely want to say yes because if you've known Charlotte Rogers well enough, you'd know she'd have a psychological explanation for it–don't get me wrong, it's endearing. But today, it wasn't.

Somehow, I think she got the message because she asked about school. A thing she rarely does. And usually, it's for breaking the awkward air.

"So how did that report with your classmate go?" she asked as she placed my plate on the table– omelet and bacon, my favourite.

"Pretty good," I lied, though I knew very well that it would be futile. Mothers know things. And when your mom is some shrink who could see through lies, you're pretty much an open book to her. Well, technically, it wasn't _really_ a lie; it _was_ pretty good because I'm still alive, right?

"Anything planned for today?" she asked, taking a seat on the dining table–opposite of me.

I shook my head and literally started shoving the food into my mouth.

"Slow down…" Mom reprimanded, staring at me with wide eyes.

I managed to say 'I'm hungry' between bites. In just a couple of minutes, I managed to eat three heaping plates of eggs and bacon. And I was pretty sure I'd have a stomach ache if I didn't slow down.

"So," She blurted out as I plated my fourth (and hopefully last) helping. Mom was sipping her coffee while reading the newspaper. "Have any plans for today?" I was just about to answer when there was a knock on the door, which was odd since we have a doorbell.

Mom stood up and said she would get it. I kinda peaked out a little. Maybe it was one of those OCD patients of my mom. And when you're as good as my mom, you'd get quite a lot of them. And those OCD people are either creepy (as in serial killer creepy), funny (as in Adrian Monk funny), and those who are just… downright weird. When I heard mom laugh, I thought that maybe it was just some neighbor or something, and went back to my half-eaten plate of food.

"Look who we have here…" I looked up as Mom entered the kitchen. To my horrible surprise, Daphne entered with her.

Immediately, I stood up, "Oh… Uh, Hello." Beneath the smile on my face, my mind was in turmoil. Questions shot out of it one after another. _What is she doing here? How did she get here? How the hell does she even know where I live?_ If I weren't staring at the floor, I would've seen Mom smirk at me. And she only smirks at me when it's about my… Urgh. Anyway, I decided to ask the questions when we were alone.

"Your friend came here to give something you left in her house." Mom placed my backpack on the kitchen counter.

I blushed. With all that was happening, I forgot to bring my own things home. "T-thanks."

Mom huffed lightly, smiled, and walked towards the cupboard, "It's awfully early Daphne, have you eaten breakfast?"

Yeah, 7:30-in-the-morning early. And my house is at least six blocks away from hers.

Whatever she was about to say was outclassed by the sound of her grumbling stomach. Daphne blushed, "No Ma'am. I was just on my way to meet up with my mother in the hospital." She smiled sheepishly, "I'd probably grab breakfast at hospital cafeteria or something."

"Oh my," mom's lips pursed, "I hope it's nothing too serious."

I looked at her expectantly; will she tell what happened or will she lie?

"Well," Daphne started as she began shifting her weight between her two feet, "Mom was reaching for something high and she fell off and banged her head." She then noticed Mom's withering expression, "But she's okay now." The last part came a little too quickly.

To me, it sounded pretty convincing but knowing my mom, she'd probably sniff out the lies from her half-truths.

Mom gave me a look and I mouthed, 'later' to her.

"In that case, why don't you just join us here for breakfast?" she brought out a plate and placed in on the table, beside me. Oh crap, I get to sit beside her.

Daphne shook her head, "Thank you for the offer Mrs. Rogers but I couldn't really impose on your hospitality seeing as I've already bothered you so early in the morning."

My mom actually smiled at that. SMILED!

"Nonsense dear, it wouldn't be in anyway an imposition." Mom said with a light chuckle, "Think of it as our thanks for returning Theo's bag."

Daphne looked at me for a second, and then sighed in defeat. "Thanks for the offer then, Mrs. Rogers." She took her seat beside me and started helping herself.

I was very careful not to brush my arms against her and I ended up losing my appetite.

Mom laughed again, "It's actually Miss Rogers."

Silence. For a second there was no movement; Mom sipped her coffee and returned her gaze back at the newspaper, I was staring at Mom weirdly, and Daphne had this unreadable expression. At least Daphne had the right idea of not choosing to ask. Frankly, I was caught unaware of how easy mom dropped the bomb. I mean, she'd rarely correct people when it's about dad. Telling everyone that she's a single parent was more trouble than it's worth because there would be a "Why?" or a "What happened?" or even an "I'm sorry…" which would lead to more explanations and questions. In fact, I think Daphne was the third person I've met who now knew about mom being a single parent–the others being my school's principal and old Mr. Edward from next door.

There was tension in the air, and mom probably noticed it, "So, what're you reporting about?"

Daphne froze visibly, and I had to mentally slap my face. She doesn't know because she doesn't _go_ to school. It was getting pretty clear that I was supposed to help her. Questions would have been arisen had I not, right?

"Just some stuff for Chem class." I said, "Mr. Owens decided to give us one final torture before Christmas break." I let slip of my/our professor's name hoping that Daphne would take the hint.

Daphne nodded slowly, "Yeah. Mr. Owens loves to make us students suffer."

"And you still haven't started yet?"

I nodded, "We were about to start on it when–" Daphne cut me off.

"Mom slipped in the kitchen and banged her head. I had to ask Theo to assist in carrying her to the living room while waiting for the ambulance to arrive." She turned to me, and I felt her leg brush up to mine.

"Yeah, we had to keep her awake because we weren't sure if she had a concussion or something." I said. Technically, it was all true. Except, _I_ wasn't in any of it.

I looked at mom and studied her face. Oh no, she's doing the thing with her eyes, like she was sizing up the whole situation. No doubt she'd sniffed out something.

"Why're you two lying?" she asked seriously.

"Mom, it happened. Daphne's mom had an accident and we when we entered the kitchen, we panicked, then got hold of the situation." I assured her. She looked at me and locked eyes with me.

"Okay, I believe that, but you're hiding something." She placed her arms on the table.

"It's…" Daphne looked like she would tell a lie. And lies don't really go well with my mom. As one of the leading experts in reading people's faces, Mom has a knack in sniffing out deceit.

"Because of a runaway horse." I told her. Mom got lost in thought, "I heard something like that yesterday."

"Well," I decided to seize up the situation, "The horse wound up inside Daphne's kitchen and freaked Mrs. Smith. Which actually started the accident." Daphne owes me big time and she better treat me to something because I'm covering her butt off.

Mom smiled, "Well why didn't you tell me that in the first place."

I whined, "Mom! Think about it, they'll be the talk of the whole neighborhood if anyone found out." Yep, gossip here is as fast as the speed of light.

Daphne's mouth was hanging open, utterly in awe of my mom, "How did you?"

"I'm a human lie detector." Mom laughed at her own choice of words, "Amongst other things. I know the usual signs of a person hiding something."

"Can you really do that?"

Mom nodded, "It is science dear."

"Wow." Daphne sounded really impressed, so much that she actually forgot about the whole topic earlier, "Can you know what it is people are hiding?"

Mom's lips thinned, "Not really. I would know the signs of a lie judging by their face and body language, but I wouldn't know the reason why they're lying." She pointed to the two of us and I groaned–this would be one of Charlotte Roger's infamous lectures. "Take you two for instance; you two kept giving each other eye contact when you were telling your first lie. It's a sign of understanding between two accomplices. Now, when Theo started telling the real story, you looked," mom shrugged, "Embarrassed? Ashamed? I'm not so sure. But when the truth comes out, usually liars exhibit those things."

"That's pretty cool." Daphne breathed. She then gave me a look, "Guess you can't lie to your mom then." The two women laughed.

_Not exactly_. I thought sullenly, playing with my scrambled eggs. When your parent is one of the best in anything, you're bound to pick up a few things from them. Like me learning how to manipulate my choice of words–in which I only tell half-truths when I lie. You understand me?

Anyway, I decided to stop the humiliating-Theo moment.

"So how is Mrs. Smith? When is she getting discharged?"

Daphne looked startled, maybe because it was the first time I acknowledged her presence. "Uh," she placed her silverware down, "The doctors said they could release her today if there's nothing wrong."

I nodded, "What hospital is she in?"

Daphne mumbled something–probably the hospital's name but I tuned out. To tell you the truth, I'm a little scared since she's here. Scared for Mom. Scared for me. If another one of those _things_ show up, I wouldn't know how to explain it to Mom. Or worse, her eyes turning purple and she'd do that thing with her bracelet and turn both of us into pixie dust. I couldn't even give Daphne a sparing glance, much less a decent conversation.

My mind was racing with thoughts and explanations.

Maybe she's suffering from split personality or something. I read from one of my mom's things that people with Dissociative Identity Disorder (it's the cooler name for split personality) have multiple mannerisms, attitudes and stuff. Sort of like what happened with the helhest, where an alter ego of hers emerged. The one that calls herself Lady Valkyrie. The two personalities have different accents too. Then there's the part where Daphne herself doesn't recall herself owning that monster. People with DID sometimes experience a certain level of memory loss.

I called her bipolar back then, and I regret that, but I am somehow being led to believe that she really is… a special case. What if 'Daphne' really isn't the true or core personality? What if she wasn't real?

Or, what if I'm the one insane here. Because that still doesn't explain why a helhest showed up. What if I'm suffering from schizophrenia or some disease named after some scientist? Or what I'm being Punk'd. Now that's just–

My musings were interrupted when I felt a tap on my shoulder.

* * *

"You know, no one is forcing you to follow me." Daphne frowned as she slowed her walk.

Mom had this so-called wonderful idea that I should 'escort' her to the hospital. And she had none too gently implied it. Normally, I'd be her doting son who'd obey his mother's wishes, but there's this thing about dust and bracelets. Still, some way, somehow, I found myself accompanying her.

"It's fine." I told her. I knew I was in a position where I _have_ to do it. Otherwise I'd end up disappointing Mom. Besides, something was telling me to check up on Daphne's safety.

We were walking in a fairly slow pace, and while this isn't an uncommon thing, I couldn't say the same about the atmosphere. Though with so many things to talk about, there wasn't really a single thing we could use for a decent conversation. I couldn't even pretend to be interested in her because I was scared of triggering a switching. What do you mean you don't know what switc–uh, I'm sorry. I'm used to talking to relatives who understand what I'm talking about. Switching is the process in which an alternate personality reveals itself and controls the individual's behaviour. And that means Daphne goes away and Valkyrie appears. Makes me wonder if her purple eye thing is a physiological effect of–

"Theo…" I stopped.

I focused my eyesight and realized that Daphne was standing in front of me. I didn't even realize how tall she is–merely a couple of inches shorter than me, and I'm fairly tall.

"You looked like you were in deep thought." I saw a look of concern in her, and I would've smiled if I hadn't thought of the things that happened yesterday.

I mentally slapped my face, snapping out from my reverie. "I'm fine." I avoided her eyes, "Look, we're almost there. It's just a couple more blocks away."

"I know where we're going, Theo…" she whispered dejectedly, and pretty soon we were back walking. Once or twice, we'd try sparking a conversation, but the things we talked about were stupid and usually ended as soon as it came.

"I'm not forcing you to accompany me." She said, probably for the fourth time, "And can't we just pretend this happened?"

"And I told you, I'll accompany you on the way to the hospital."

Daphne let out a frustrated sigh. I frowned at that, am I really that bad as a companion?

"You don't really like me, do you?"

She jolted her head in my direction, surprised, "What makes you say that?"

I shrugged, "I just know. You even distance yourself from me." I indicated the meter-long gap between us.

"N-no. It's…" she stuttered, "I'm just… careful."

I think I know what she's talking about, "Is this about what happened yesterday?" Perhaps I should not have asked that because she immediately tensed up and assumed a defensive stance.

Quickly, I tried to placate her, and for the first time since we started this journey, I met her gaze, "Look, I don't understand what happened yesterday, and I don't plan to." I took a step back when she didn't budge, "But you have to believe me that I mean no harm to you." I was careful with my words. Pretty much intimidation's a big no with her (might trigger a switching and I end up getting bashed to a bloody pulp or turned into pixie dust). Logic seems to go in from one ear and out the other with her. So that left me with sugar-coated words.

Daphne sighed and dropped her stance, "Then go home or visit a friend or something. I can't let you be around me anymore. It's for your own good."

I raised my eyebrows, "What do you mean?"

"It's," it looked like she was willing to spill on some things, but her expression changed suddenly, "none of your business."

I stared at her, and then nodded, "But Mom asked me to accompany you, and just as she said, it's thanks for bringing my bag." I was just using that excuse. Thing is, something in the back of my head kept bugging me. And it's somehow related to Daphne.

"But I already ate in your home earlier. That's enough compensation to me."

"But not for me." I told her briskly.

She stomped her foot, "You're such…" she seemed like she was looking for a proper word, "You are such… a _guy_!"

I ignored her and continued walking, "Let's go." My ear was alert, just to see if she'd take the hint. And I was right; a couple of seconds later, the sound of foot tapping on cement reached my ears.

Once we were back into that slow but steady pace, I looked at her, "And no one, no one, is forcing me to do anything–I want to accompany you and I want to see if Mrs. Smith is alright." It was more for the feeling of closure. To see her and Mrs. Smith alright. And to see to it that Daphne would be safe (if ever something arrives).

The rest of the journey was spent in an awkward silence we tried to ignore.

* * *

DISCLAIMER:** The following is a work ****of FICTION**

**The events, characters and names are fictional and/or derived from real mythology**

**and the Percy Jackson and Kane Chronicles series are owned by Rick Riordan**

**By writing this fanfic, no offense in intended to anyone**

* * *

**NOTES:** Before you guys chase me with an mob, I wanted to have a baseline of what my two character's relationship, hence this uneventful chapter. And no, I will never pair them with canon characters (OC pairings with canon is just disgusting). Remember, I intentionally made some of the facts about the psychological stuff far-fetched since it came from a fifteen-year-old boy. I've done my research and asked had actually asked a real psychologist about most of the information, but you have to remember that Theo is telling the story so the things about facts that he says doesn't necessarily have to be spot on.


	4. Chapter 4

Title: _**My Hard to Believe Mythological Experience**_

Chapter 4: school goes 'boom!'

* * *

To be an _**Einherjar**_

a hero must die a most _noble_ and selfless death.

A _**valkyrie**_ chooses her _**einherjar**_

but what happens when her current incarnation is _incomplete_?

* * *

As we neared the hospital, I noticed something peculiar happening to Daphne; her pace slowed, the color drained from her face, and she looked like she was getting anxious about something. She even wobbled while she walked, like she was about to faint.

"Is everything alright?" I decided to ask after she almost tripped... again. I placed my hand over her shoulder and I was startled when she jumped away from my touch, pushing me forcefully in the process.

I fell onto the floor with a 'thud' (it hurt my butt too).

"O-oh!" she stuttered. I noticed her shaking, "I'm sorry." She extended a hand for me, and she pulled me up.

"It's just my nerves." She told me when we were back walking. It sounded like she was trying to convince herself rather than myself when she had said that. And little by little, I grew worried, I mean, she looked like she was in pain. A _lot_ of pain. And by the time the sliding doors of the hospital entrance opened, she looked physically sick.

"Daphne, I–"

"No," she raised a hand in front of my face, "I'm fine." She limped towards an empty seat in the lobby, declining the help of a few passing nurses. I figured it was the food she ate at my house, and I started asking if she was having a stomach ache, or if it was some allergy of hers. She shook her head, "it's not that," her pained face formed a small smile, "But thanks."

Truthfully, I was at a the point where I was very worried about her (but don't tell her that).

I decided to take a seat beside her, you know, just in case she needed someone nearby. The thing that surprised me though, was me opting to not say anything smarmy. This lead to a few moments of awkward silence–at least awkward on my part. I turned to her, "–do you mean? 'Powers are mani–' was what I heard her say but the noise of those busybodies inside the hospital made me deaf a little.

Better not bother her then, whatever she said.

When some color returned to her face, we decided to move on.

* * *

I'd never been in this hospital before because my mom knew more people in another hospital on the other side of town, which meant that I go there instead of here. Anyway, the room of Mrs. Smith looked simple, maybe a cut above the rest, but it wasn't too extravagant. There was a mini fridge near the bed and a bulky television was hoisted up above us.

"Hi mom." Daphne ran to her mother and gave her a hug. I saw Mrs. Smith's expression visibly lighten, and she hugged her daughter back. To tell you the truth, they looked more like sisters rather than mother-daughter.

They talked for a few seconds, until Mrs. Smith noticed me. I suppose I _looked_ like a total idiot standing at the corner.

"Hello," I greeted politely with a wave of my hand.

"Oh! Theo!" she motioned me to come closer.

"Thank you for helping me," was what she said after giving my shoulder a gentle squeeze.

"I don't know what you mean." Really, I don't. I spared a glance at Daphne, and it looked like she was busily looking elsewhere. And to think, I lied to my mom for her.

"Oh, don't be so modest." She smirked, "If you hadn't stayed with my daughter, she would've freaked out."

Honestly, I _really_ had no idea what she was talking about,

"_Mom!_" Daphne yelled, totally embarrassed.

Mrs. Smith moved to whisper something on my ear, "If you ever decide to date my daughter, you have my blessing." Though, I don't suppose it was a whisper because Daphne heard it.

"**MOM!**" Daphne was indignant, face beet red.

I was floored. And my face was probably creating a new shade of red because of what Mrs. Smith said. My blush grew worse when Daphne's mom laughed.

"So anyway," Daphne tried to regain her composure – although her face was still flushed – "what did the doctors say?"

Mrs. Smith was still giving us looks. "The doctors said I might get discharged today. Just waiting for the their approval." She turned to me and gave me a wink (which flustered me some more).

Everything became worse when Daphne's dad entered the room.

Robert Smith is a tall, somewhat brawny man with an intimidating gaze. The kind of gaze you'd expect from a seasoned fighter. And you know what; I had the unfortunate fate of receiving said glare.

With a squeaky voice, I introduced myself.

"Oh stop scaring him, Bob." Mrs. Smith said with a laugh, "He's the guy who helped Daphne before the ambulance came." And just like that, his demeanor shifted visibly.

"Pleasure to meet you, young man." He said extending a hand.

We talked around for a bit, and before I knew it, it was already nearing noon. Since Daphne's mom was getting released today, they offered me a ride home. I accepted the offer, and pretty soon we were on the road. The whole ride was definitely not what I had expected. Both of Daphne's parents were warm, polite and had a sense of humor that I liked. It made me wonder why Daphne's personality is significantly different from theirs. I mean, they don't strike me as bad parents.

The things we talked about were usually anything they'd think up. But every once in a while I'd give Daphne a knowing look. I didn't have to be a genius to not talk about the events that happened yesterday. And I actually never planned to tell a soul about it.

Finally, we reached my home and I was thanking them for the ride.

By the time I was tucked safely and securely in bed, the words of the man in my dream pushed through my train of thoughts.

"Protect _her_ from–"

Protect who?

From what?

Why me?

Questions like these ran through my mind. And all was coming back to that single dream I had. As far as I can tell, that was no ordinary dream, because ordinary dreams wouldn't still be vivid after a full day of events. Sure you'd recall some of it, but this dream... I could remember everything with clarity. It was like I was actually there.

A knock on my opened door made me lose concentration.

"Everything okay, honey?" mom asked, "You look like you're deep in thought."

"I-It's fine." I told her, "It's just some dream I had."

Mom nodded and was silent for a moment. "You know, back in the day, dreams were windows of the past, present and future. Psychology today is all about these theories with dreams, but no one really knows what they mean." She smiled and sat on the edge of my bed, "I think it's best if you quit worrying and get some sleep. Tomorrow's Monday, and I know how much you hate Mondays."

I nodded as she stood up and left the room, switching off the lights and closing my door in the process.

* * *

There was a girl... laughing.

"Why thank you, kind sir." Said the voice.

I couldn't focus. Everything was a hazy blur. A mass of colors; of blobs of whites and blues. And oranges and reds.

Am I... dreaming?

"What's that?" the voice asked, "You want more tea?"

I turned around, finally able to locate the origin of the voice.

The voice laughed again, and things started to get clearer. The black mass of color was actually a bulky television, the orange one–a couch. The walls had a simple cream color. And the rug was deep red. Somehow, I'm getting the feeling that I've been here before but I can't remember exactly all the details.

Taking a step forward, I come across a girl – no more than four – sitting at the corner of the room. She was surrounded by dolls, toys, action figures and... junk. They were arranged in a circular manner, all of them facing her–who now held a plastic teapot. At first glance, a child playing wouldn't be something you'd find odd, but it wasn't so ordinary-looking anymore when she was pouring fake tea for an action figure with missing arms. An action figure in-between expensive-looking porcelain dolls and is that...

"More tea, Ms Thimble?"

The scene faded; melting and turning darker until I was left with an empty void of black surroundings. It looked like the same room from my previous dream but–

"Mortals can be so... insistent." a new voice said, sighing exasperatedly.

To my side, I saw something form, like a thing materializing from a cluster of greyish clouds. Slowly, it shaped into a humanoid-like being, "Daphne?" I shook my head, "Mrs. Smith?" She wore a light-looking dress but I couldn't focus clearly on her whole form. I think I may have offended her too because she pursed her lips, "Young man, I am neither."

"I-I'm confused." And, to me, that's saying something because it wasn't easy for me to admit how confused I am in any given situation. I like to have some sort of control, you know? But we're getting sidetracked...

When I looked up, she appeared to be evaluating me, "You're pretty rude too, invading a girl's pleasant dream and all." The voice echoed in the void, sort of what you'd expect from a deserted church of something. Walking forward, she raised a hand. I started to feel warm, and I could see that I was somehow emitting a bright yellow light. It didn't burn, but it made me feel vulnerable. Very vulnerable. Like I was naked or something.

"H-Hey! What're you–" I stopped when I saw the woman glow, just like me but in a hue of vivid purple. I tried to shield my body, feeling open all of a sudden. But no mater how hard I try, I just can't shake the feeling that my personal space was getting invaded. Thankfully, everything returned to normal when she dropped her hand.

She looked at me, "As far as I can tell you're mortal." There was a frown on her face–like she was thinking very deeply–"But with a hint of... something."

Our eyes met, and it felt like I was a specimen of some sort. She had this haughty look in her face too. One that I really loathed. I even tried to glare back, "there's something very peculiar about you." I blinked once and she wasn't there anymore. "You're a special mortal, aren't you?' her voice echoed in the void. "A spirit worth of a fine Einherjar. If only you'd just... _die_."

Before I could say anything, there was this grumbling noise. A noise so loud, I lost my footing, and fell on the floor.

"Well it's been fun... but it appears she's waking up." The voice came from behind me, and I turned my head around. The woman curtsied and it was then that I saw what she was wearing; a shiny upper armor in a shade lighter than her deep purple eye color, an open top feathered helmet with matching gauntlets and knee-high metal boots. The thing I found odd the most was her soft-looking skirt. But I guess it gave a girlish touch to the whole warrior look.

"Mortal," she said as I was being pulled by an unseen force, "I bid thee farewell."

* * *

I heard chirping birds. And I started to feel the fabric of my blanket. Slowly, I open my eyes and the sight of my cream-colored ceiling welcomes my sight.

Another weird dream. Another _vivid_ weird dream. I wonder why I kept having these kind of dreams.

Sitting upright, I stifled a yawn and stretched my numbed muscles. God, I love that feeling.

My alarm clock still had half-an-hour before going off. _That's a first_. Normally; I'd normally spend my time maximizing my sleep. Unceremoniously, I laid back and covered myself with my sheets (hoping to punch in a few more minutes of sleep). But no matter how hard I closed my eyes, that dream seemed to bug me a little too much. There's also the thing that happened two days ago. Which now seemed like a distant memory. And the events of the previous two days became less and less real, increasingly less likely. I know, I've been going on and on about this nonstop, but I can't help it. It's _bugging_ me too much. I suppose I should find someone I could talk to, but trust me, even _I_ would think that I'm a nut job if I'd tell someone about the helhest. Well I could talk to Daphne but–

My alarm blared, marking the end of my nonsense and breaking me from my thoughts. Sluggishly, I had to force myself to get up.

I hadn't really paid attention to what I was doing and throughout the whole period of me preparing for school, my thoughts reeled back to the dreams and the zombie horse thing. In fact, I only became of my surroundings when Tony (my friend) was already bouncing of to his seat in class.

"Hey Theo." He greeted, taking a seat behind me. Absentmindedly, I nodded and asked about his weekend. Tony's the type of guy who could go on and on with his stories. And while he isn't really a boring storyteller (he isn't the repetitive type) it's still mind-numbing – probably best used when you're in need of a good distraction. And I was right; Tony started this rant about how he assisted in giving birth to this cow at their farm. Everything came to an abrupt halt when the teacher came in and started class.

At lunch, I somehow managed to earn the irritation of my friend, "I can't believe you…"

"What I'd do?" I turned to him, walking beside him towards a random table. Generally, in the social hierarchy of the educational establishment I'm in, people more or less ignore the normal-looking ordinary boy. And I'm thankful of that because at least people get along fine (or civilly) towards me. So we sat in some random table.

"Forget it." He said attacking his food.

"Is this about you doing that thing with the cow?" I didn't want to say it because people around me (and me for that matter) might lose our appetites.

Whatever Tony said afterwards was muted when I saw someone familiar. Blond hair, same pointy nose… carrying her tray of food. Apparently looking for a place to eat.

_Daphne._

Quickly, I turned back to Tony. He must've notice my uneasiness because he wasn't talking anymore and was giving me weird looks, "Hey, you alright?" he nudged me; "You look like you've seen a ghost." There was a free seat beside me. And it looked like the whole cafeteria was jam-packed. She was pretty near me too, so there's a good chance she'll… Tony nudged me again.

"I-It's nothing." I told him, "What're you saying again?" I had hoped that Tony didn't notice the anxiousness in my voice, or that Daphne hasn't seen me.

He looked at the direction I was looking at before then back at me, "I said…" I dared to look at her again. Oh crap, Daphne's seen the empty seat and she's walking towards us.

I thought she doesn't even go to school? What is she doing here? Why now? My mind literally went into panic mode. And I had to restrain myself from having a mental breakdown and making a scene that would probably humiliate me 'til I graduate.

"Hi," that all-too-familiar voice said, "is this seat taken?"

_Crud_…

Tony didn't look up, still looking at me weirdly, and I was trying to busy myself with my half-eaten slice of sandwich.

Someone had told her no, and she sat down.

I didn't want to look at her. And I was telling myself that this was… just some illusion my brain had made up. Maybe just like the thing with the helhest. That Theodore Rogers' imagination is just going haywire. Yeah… something like that. Still, that didn't stop me from sweating bullets as she occupied herself with her food. She then caught me looking at her. And there was this unpleasant shiver that ran down my spine.

"Hello Daphne." I braved myself in saying that. And I was sort of happy I didn't sound… feeble.

"Are you new here?" Tony asked, tearing his eyes away from me. That's odd… I thought the whole school knew her. It was getting clear to me that something weird is happening. First, people know her by name yet she hadn't stepped foot in any school since fifth grade, and when she magically reappears, no recognizes her–even her name. It just… doesn't add up.

Suddenly, my vision blurred because some thick fog started forming from nowhere. And the thing that bothered me more is that no one seemed to notice it.

I turned to my friend and called him. But he ignored me, like I wasn't even there, and ate his food in silence. I nudged him, but he was unresponsive. I punched him, yelled at him, even started telling some of his more embarrassing stories loudly, but he just… ignored me.

That's it. Just when I thought the whole saga in Daphne's house was forgotten, this whole new thing with the fog starts.

I glared at Daphne, "Are you doing this?" I pointed out the thick fog.

She shook her head, "N-no." she appeared just as shocked as I was and I think she was either telling the truth or is a very good actress.

"How can I be sure that you're not…"

A loud bang rang through the air, and the people around us started panicking. I may not see well, but their screaming and the rumbling noises of their footsteps definitely screamed 'panic.'

"Theo?"

I turned to Tony, who was rubbing his eyes, looking like he'd just woken up or something. "What happened?"

The fire alarm started as well as the school intercom. The announcer told us to evacuate calmly.

"What do you think is happening?" my friend asked as we followed the faculty's orders of going to the school yard.

I could only focus on his walking form, with my eyesight still dampened, "I don't know." Somehow, Tony wasn't affected by the fog. In fact, none of my other schoolmates were having any difficulty seeing. It was as if I was the only one seeing it. I didn't like this feeling. Especially since Daphne was probably linked to this strange event. It's her fault again. But I still felt a little bit guilty by the way I acted towards her earlier.

Currently, we were being led by our seniors. The entrance to the cafeteria was jam-packed, with students clawing, shouting and pushing their way out. I frowned, we obviously wouldn't get anywhere with the entire crowd blocking the path, I turned to my friend, and suggested to take the exit from the kitchen.

He nodded and ran to the food stalls, with me carefully tailing behind. Because of the weird fog I couldn't see any of the staff members or anyone that was at least a few meters away–yeah, it's _that_ thick. I couldn't even believe the entrances were crowded. There were three two-meter swinging doors that led to the cafeteria. There was just no way would we have difficulty in using them. I must've voice my thoughts out loud because some random guy near me said that some ceiling has collapsed and had managed to block two of three the entrances.

Okay, so that's explained. But why hadn't any staff member of the school tried to fix the situation inside the cafeteria? Where could they all have gone to? Leaving us students to ourselves, that's really strange. I recognized some voices trying to regain control (voices that didn't belong to any teacher or staff member I knew). None of them seemed to be doing a good job because the whole feel of the entire room was getting… worse.

"It's no good." Tony yelled exasperatedly, kicking up something I couldn't see. I asked why and he told me that there were other students there too. By now, a lot of the voices were arguing. Some were trying to pacify the more aggressive voices, but there were just too many shouting matches. I could even hear crashing sounds in one corner like they were having a fight.

"Theo–" whatever he was about to say was interrupted by yet another loud explosion. This time, it felt like it was much closer. Like it was in the other…

_CRASH!_

…room.

I heard some cracking sounds, like a wall or ceiling just got busted open. But I couldn't see. And by now everything was in bedlam and the only thing I could hear is the yells and screams of my schoolmates.

"What's happening?" I demanded.

Tony looked frozen in fear, "I… we should go." I didn't know what he saw but I was sure it scared the living pants out of him. Especially since Tony doesn't get scared easily.

"But we're trapped."

"No we're not." Tony grabbed a toppled chair and walked towards a glass window. The loud crash vibrated inside my ear and I could safely say that other people started following his lead. Okay, technically what we just did warrants a suspension that would last for a week. And you'd have to multiply that by four since other people were now copying us. Tony called out my name but the screaming throughout the whole room made it almost impossible to hear.

Before I could take a step forward, I heard this sound – a bellow. You know the noise that comes out from a bull. That's a bellow. And I heard it. The bellow was so loud, it felt like the earth shook with it.

"C'mon Theo, let's go!" I felt hands grabbing my shoulders, and I was pushed out of the cafeteria. The noises were starting to fade a little, probably because we were getting farther and farther away from where we were originally. And the thing is, the mist wasn't getting any thinner. I followed my friend as we ran towards God knows where. There was another explosion somewhere really near us, and I feared that my eardrums might pop because of it. The honking of the horns of cars is what I heard after my hearing got better. I think we were at the parking lot or something.

Playing follow the leader with Tony isn't so hard… unless you add a thick haze and unseen obstacles. Yeah, I kinda tripped once or twice too.

When Tony pushed a random door open, I thought that we might be safe. Even though I had no idea where we were. Since I think I was the only one seeing the weird miasma, I chose to just keep silent. Am I _really_ the only one who could see the fog? Well there's Daphne but–wait, where is she?

We _left_ her.

With all that's happened, I didn't think she'd choose to follow us.

"Hey…" I said between pants, "Did Daphne follow us?"

Tony too was exhausted with all the running. "Dude, I have no idea who you're talking… wait, you mean that girl earlier?"

I nodded.

"I don't know…" he exhaled, falling brusquely to the floor. Were we… under the bleachers? In the gym?

There was another explosion, and I could feel the gymnasium shake a little.

My pulse quickened, and I found myself worrying about her safety. Something is definitely wrong here. My mind, gut and heart all knew that everything happening wasn't normal. But they were also telling me that Daphne was just another victim here.

I sighed, what should I do?

Then something inside me just clicked, was I supposed to protect Daphne? From… whatever it was that Tony saw?

"I…" for sure, I'm going to regret this, "I'm going back."

* * *

When I returned to the scene, I could see that the miasma inside the cafeteria has reduced visibly after we left. I'd snuck back when Tony walked to some random group of people. I hope he's safe and doesn't decide to find me. Tables and chairs were either toppled or destroyed, the food stalls were all obliterated and there was this three-meter gaping hole in one of the walls.

"Daphne?" I called out. It was eerily silent, and I know for sure that she wasn't stupid enough to stay here. But this was the last place I'd seen her, all I have to do here is to see if I could get any clue or sign of where she went.

I walked deeper inside the thrashed cafeteria, my senses alert for anything. Like… _Noise_. I hear noises. There were crashing and clashing sounds that came from the gaping hole that led outside. Sort of like the sound you would hear from a sword fight in a high-budget action movie. Slowly I crept in.

There was a figure, but I couldn't tell the person's gender.

"I couldn't believe this…" it was a girl. And she seemed pissed about something. I walked nearer, careful not to be seen, and hid behind some bushes. The girl I was talking about wasn't Daphne; Daphne's a blonde, but this one is a brunette – almost blackish or something – with her medium-length hair pulled back with a scrunchy. Her sword–wait, a _sword_?

I took a step back, cracking a brittle twig, and she must have heard it because her head snapped towards my direction, "Who's there?" I couldn't believe what happened to me next because the grass seemed to pin me on the ground. I tried wiggling my feet, but I saw through the fog that the grass grew tall and started ensnaring my legs.

"Uh… Hi?" I managed to squeak as I fell down, totally immobile. And pathetic.

She glared at me, and I could see through her stern green eyes that she was very irritated by my presence.

"What're you doing here?" she asked. There was power in her tone.

I smiled sheepishly, not caring if pointed her sword at my throat, "Looking for my friend. You may have seen her." I then told her of Daphne's appearance.

"That girl?" she whispered to herself, and then she lowered her sword, "Yeah, I saw her earlier."

"Really?"

She nodded, "Yes, calm unlike everybody else. Which was odd because normal people should've been scared or something." Well, she's the one to talk. Then again, she must be as mentally unsound as Daphne. Urgh, why do I always meet the crazy ones? "She headed towards that direction." She pointed towards my right. I nodded solemnly, though that proved to be a difficult task since the grass is almost done binding my entire body. Crushing my ribs and making it hard for me to breathe.

"I… help?"

She didn't even use her sword, she just did something with her hands and the vines just… untangled. Like she had some weird power over plants. Nonetheless with all that's happening around me, I guess nothing surprises me anymore.

"Sorry about that." She said as she held out a hand, "I'm Katie Gardner." I recognized that name; president of the agricultural club, dyslexic and has ADHD. Mom wanted to talk to her once because everybody says Katie attracts trouble, but I don't know how that turned out. Katie didn't even strike me as the 'bad person' type. Bossy or mothering, maybe, but that doesn't really constitute as a villain in my book. I didn't even think she knew how to defend herself and yet she looks like she knows how to handle a sword. Maybe I have crappy people skills?

Before anything else, I heard the same bellow, but this time… it was followed by a high-pitched scream.

* * *

DISCLAIMER:** The following is a work of FICTION**

**The events, characters and names are fictional and/or derived from real mythology**

**and the Percy Jackson and Kane Chronicles series are owned by Rick Riordan**

**By writing this fanfic, no offense in intended to anyone**

* * *

**NOTES:** I deeply apologize for the late update (alas I am back). So I now add Katie from the Percy Jackson series. Take note, she is going to be one of the focal characters of this story along with another member of camp half-blood and a known character from the Kane Chronicles. But they will all appear in due time. Oh, and I won't overload this story with OCs (I think I'll just have three main OCs here).


	5. Chapter 5

Title: _**My Hard to Believe Mythological Experience**_

Chapter 5: from Mississippi to Virginia in under fifteen minutes

* * *

To be an _**Einherjar**_

a hero must die a most _noble_ and selfless death.

A _**valkyrie**_ chooses her _**einherjar**_

but what happens when her current incarnation is _incomplete_?

* * *

The shriek I heard sent shivers down my spine. I recognized the voice. But I refused to believe it. I simply could not. But it was the fear in the scream that tugged my heart strings harder. _Oh no_…

Between us, Katie was the first to recover. She made a mad dash towards the distressed scream and her form vanished through the think mist, leaving me by myself. On the other hand, I stood with shaky legs, and an even shakier spirit. And if it wasn't for the second time that Daphne's scream reached my ears, my body would've kept on trembling.

"Hey, wait!" I called.

Blindly, I ran. I simply followed the direction of the weird sounds.

By the time I was relatively close to them, I heard another bellow. But this one, I think, was induced by pain. Then there was a loud 'thud,' one that made the earth quake. There, three figures stood in the mist; two of them seemed to be working together, their heights a little like mine or shorter. The other figure, I… I'm not sure but I could've sworn he was eight feet tall or something. The two figures launched themselves towards the towering one – whom I could now see is covered by some cloak – with amazing dexterity.

Slowly, I crept closer, watching the big man raise a hand and swat one of them effortlessly. The small one was sent backwards flying at full speed and twisting in the air.

Is that…?

The figure, to my absolute horror and surprise, turned out to be Daphne. She was clutching her rapier. "Daphne!" I yelled, realizing that she was the one who flying four feet through the air, you know like a missile.

_She's going to crash_, I thought as I willed my legs to move. I had to think fast, or else… I didn't even want to think about it. So I used my body as some sort of cushion for softening her otherwise painful impact.

In turn, I was the one who got hurt, but it was something I could live with because, in the first place, I was the reason why Daphne was in this trouble. My chest hurt as I tried to raise her up, but compared to Daphne I… you _don't_ want to know. All I can say is that she was covered in cuts and bruises with a big one forming on her right arm. I sat upright and tried to cradle her like a fragile thing, angling her head, placing it on the crease of my neck and letting her sit on my lap.

I gently tried to wake her up, calling her name and sort of shaking her. No use. She's out cold and judging by the uneven rising and falling of her chest, I think she broke her rib or puncture her lung or something.

My breath hitched. It's my fault she's like this. If only I hadn't been snappy towards her earlier then… Tony, Daphne and I would've…

Her hand twitched, and Daphne started coughing.

"Daphne!" I exclaimed in relief. I didn't even realize what I was doing until I felt my arms wrap around her. Yeah, I sort of hugged her – hey! I was relieved, okay? – but I was careful so that I didn't crush her.

"Wha–?" she squeaked, but I had been so caught up being relieved I'm not sure if I'd heard her properly. I'm pretty sure she was shocked though. And to my humiliation, it was too late for me to realize that I was being… intimate with her.

"Hey! Lovebirds! A little help would be nice?" someone–Katie yelled. Then there was a hand between me and Daphne, and I could feel it pushing me away.

"W-what're you doing?" Daphne whispered huffily, face blushing and eyes not meeting me.

Yeah! What was I doing?

My face started to burn from embarrassment, and my eyes shifted away from her.

"Uh, Guys?" Katie grunted, "I'm trying to _survive_ here?"

Well that snapped me out from my trance, and well, maybe with the help of the bellowing sounds too.

What the heck's with the bellowing sounds anyway? I don't see any bulls or cows around. And it didn't seem like some sound system was doing it, no, it sounded… _real_.

Daphne wriggled, trying to stand up, but by the hiss of pain she let out, I knew it would have been best for her to stay still. I noticed her left foot angled in a very awkward position too.

"Stop." I ordered, "You'll end up hurting yourself more."

" But…" she started but I didn't want to hear any of it.

"No." I said in my most authoritative voice, "You're hurt."

I heard the weird sound again, and as I turned my head, I saw the gigantic figure nearly ramming Katie.

If I didn't know any better, I would've thought the tall person was actually a–

_Wait_…

I squinted my eyes and focused intently on the big brutish man. I had thought that my mind was playing tricks on me earlier, but his body hair looked a lot like _fur_. And his head was so big I… I gasped.

The man's head was that of a bull's. My mouth ran dry at this revelation. Holy mother of–It's a Minotaur. A real-life, towering, eight foot tall Minotaur! As in half bull and half human. I knew that if I were standing, my legs would've buckled (or worse, I might have fainted). And to top it all off, Katie was trying to fight it all by herself.

"We've got to help her." Daphne said.

Katie rolled away from what would have been a painful punch, "So nice of you to notice."

Daphne struggled to stand once more, but I held her down.

"I have to help her, Theo."

I shook my head, "You're hurt." I caught sight of her weapon. I didn't want to leave the monster all to Katie, but at the same time, I didn't want Daphne to hurt herself more, "I'll do it."

Daphne was surprised by that, and shook her head, "What? Are you crazy?" she stared at me like I was the village idiot, "Theo, you'll hurt yourself!" Daphne coughed at her sudden outburst, but still, she remained determined, "You'll die!"

I winced at her words, but kept hold of my resolve, "Better me than you." Truthfully, the idea that I could possibly die didn't go well with my stomach, but like I said, better me than Daphne. Besides, it was just the three of us and no one seemed to be around to help us (or take notice of the eight feet tall mythological creature running about on school ground). Daphne was hurt, Katie was doing her best in trying to subdue it, and what was I doing? Nothing, that's what. So I decided to help take down the old monster.

Swiftly, I snatched her rapier from her hand. "Hey! Give that back!" I didn't heed what she said because there was no way I'd let Daphne fight. Not in her present condition.

The sword is definitely worth some admiration; it's blade looked refined, shiny and well polished, it's hilt looked like a bunch of thick wires got woven together in an intricate design – to help protect the arm maybe? I don't know – and the feel was indescribably nice. It fitted like a glove. The length also seemed adequate, and the weight wasn't too light (that one might accidentally send it flying) or too heavy (so that one wouldn't have difficulty wielding it). It was as if it was custom made or something.

"Theo, Give that back!" Daphne demanded.

"No can do," I told her, sticking the rapier to the ground. I then placed my hands behind her knees and neck and hoisted her up bridal-style. She protested (while flushing) of course, but not much since her injuries hurt when she did. So I suggested (blushing just the same) that she should just shut up. And hey, she did!

Walking to a nearby tree, I laid her down by its trunk and ordered her to stay put.

"But–"

"No buts, Daphne." I turned around and retrieved the sword. I stared at it one last time before pulling it off the ground.

Katie was still dodging the Minotaur's blows, but I noticed that she was showing signs of fatigue.

I gulped. For the record, I have no idea how to wield a rapier or any weapon in particular. In fact, I think the only thing I've held that resembled a weapon is a javelin. You know, for the sport (or in P.E. class).

Still, I knew that I should help Katie.

For some reason, I must've done something because Daphne's rapier started to glow… and glow… and glow… emitting some sort of warm pulse that I could feel through the tips of my fingers. The light made it hard for me to see though, to a point where I had to close my eyes or risk temporary or permanent blindness.

When I opened my eyes after the light faded, they widened. In my hand was a two-meter long javelin. It even had a shiny spearhead. Not only that, the mist… was _gone_. I could see clearly now; how the skies were once again as gloomy as two days ago, and that the entire school lawn looked like the surface of the moon, with craters big and small. And… and the _school_! It was obliterated! Well, not really, it looked like one of those buildings from old WWII movies. And not in the cool-looking way either. But yeah, destroyed.

I was so close to having a sensory overload when I heard Katie let out a cry of pain as she was sent flying backwards. I tensed. I have to help her!

But the question was… how?

Katie's already out of commission, too tired to stand up. But then again, she has weird plant powers.

Maybe she could…

"Hey Katie!" I yelled, "Could you… pin him down or something?" Our eyes met and we simultaneously nodded in agreement. It was weird, like we knew what we were talking about except there were no words exchanged between us. Katie did some hand gestures and the grass beneath the Minotaur lengthened, slowly encroaching around the monster's legs.

The Minotaur struggled to break free. But I doubt it could hold it forever. Maybe, but I wasn't taking any chances.

With the monster pinned, I slowly relaxed my body. The words of my P.E. teacher came to mind, 'even out your breathing.' And I did, to the point where I could feel my pulse slowing down. Never in my wildest dreams would have I thought of remembering my P.E. teacher's lectures and using it. Really.

'Imagine your target. Visualize…' concentrating, I aimed for the chest – no, heart – "Then…" I ran.

As fast as I could.

I knew I had only one shot. So I had to nail it or its game over.

Abruptly, I stopped and my shoes skidded on the ground. With one deliberated throw, I hurled the javelin forward. A pretty decent throw, if I'd say so myself. I hoped I got it right. In the background, someone had shouted 'no' but my eyes were glued to the assailing spear for me to even notice it. I crossed my fingers as the javelin started to descend.

Slowly… _Slowly_…

The half-bull, half-human screamed in pain. I think I did it right because the Minotaur started convulsing and screaming louder (or bellowing, whatever you want to call it) until the monster stopped moving and exploded into a pile of dust.

I did it! I _really_ did it!

Katie shrieked in delight and started limping towards me. She collapsed on me gave me a hug. "You did it!" she yelled, patting my back. Pretty soon, I was blushing madly. After all, seniors don't give away free hugs to sophomore kids like me.

I turned to Daphne and my eyes grew big.

"Katie! We have to take Daphne to the hospital." The blonde looked incredibly worse than before, especially since the bruise in her arm was starting to show. Wait, her arm _is_ the bruise! I let go of Katie and went to see Daphne.

"You did well." Daphne tried to smile, but it was faint and embedded in anguish. She tried to get up but I made her sit, "I'm going to call for help," I knelt down to meet her gaze, "so stay here, okay?"

She shook her head, "It's alright, don't bother with me."

I was about to refute what she had said when Katie sat down beside her – placing a dark blue backpack in her lap. She opened it and brought out an average-sized thermos. She twisted the lid open and handed it to her, "Drink this."

Daphne obeyed, using her two wobbly hands, and took a few swigs.

Then something unexplainable happened, her injuries… seemed to heal with each gulp. I mean, her arm was totally bruised earlier, now's just a small patch on her forearm. And her cuts and scratches, were all gone and left no scar.

"Stop!" Katie yelled all of a sudden, when Daphne was almost done with the whole thing. Was Katie being selfish? I didn't think so because… why would she give it to her in the first place? Right?

Daphne gave a sheepish smile and handed the thermos back to her, "I'm sorry about that. It tastes like my grandma's angel cake."

Katie laughed a bit, "Its fine, but you have to understand, To much of that and you'll end up with an overdose, and an overdose would mean you getting sick or worse…"

"Why? What did you make her drink anyway?"

Daphne looked at me and said something under her breath, "Because it's Nectar."

"Nectar?" I asked, "You mean the thing from flowers?" I didn't know nectar could do that,

"Not nectar, _Nectar._" she said, but I didn't understand her. Is there a difference between the two of them?

"Am I missing something?" I asked, brows furrowed in deep thought.

Katie looked at me seriously, "Nectar. It's the drink of the gods."

I almost laughed but the no-nonsense tone in her voice intimidated me, maybe I didn't hear it properly? "Drink of the what?"

Daphne stood up, surprising me once more. Just earlier, she had had difficulty moving and now it was like she wasn't injured at all. "In any case," she turned to both of us, "It's best to get out of here."

I nodded, that's a pretty good idea. "But where do we go from here?" I pointed to the school caught in flames, "We can't go back."

Daphne looked at me, then to Katie. The brunette sighed, "There could more enemies around too."

"So we can't just stay here," Daphne said and I agreed with her, "or we'll be sitting ducks."

Katie rummaged something through her backpack, "I've got an idea," she brought out a small but full coin purse. Katie stood up and looked around. "I just hope it would work."

"What're you–" I said but was cut off when the brunette snapped her head towards me then to Daphne, "C'mon… follow me." Daphne and I looked at each other. Daphne shrugged and followed her, well after she retrieved her rapier/javelin thing and changing it back into her bracelet. Sighing, I stood up and followed the two of them. Katie stopped right in front of the road. People were passing by us, going towards the direction of the burning school. I was kind of wondering why they weren't noticing us because one should have at least wondered if we were students right? Maybe even ask if we were alright given our current appearances. I mean, Katie looked dirty as her clothes were tattered and covered in grass stains. And _Daphne,_ why weren't they noticing Daphne whose torn clothes and jeans were covered in dried blood and dirt? And me! I've got blood stains in my clothes too! From when I carried Daphne.

Then again, with all that was happening around us, maybe this was caused by some weird power of Katie's or Daphne's.

Katie looked on both sides of the path, took a deep breath and said something I couldn't understand. Something about stealth harming and tablets, I don't know. It was a language I'd never heard of. She opened her purse and brought out one chunky gold nugget. I suppose it could be called a coin, but I didn't recognize the currency she was using.

The gold coin was tossed into the street, but instead of clattering on the asphalt, the coin sank right through and disappeared. Which actually made Katie sigh in relief.

For a moment, nothing happened.

"What just ha–" Then, just where the coin had fallen, the asphalt darkened. It melted into a rectangular pool about the size of a parking space—bubbling red liquid like blood. Then a car erupted from the ooze.

Oh it's a car, alright, a taxi even. But unlike all the taxis I've seen, this one appeared to be made of smoke. I extended a hand, and found out that my hand didn't pass through. It's _real_. I looked at the two girls; Katie looked nonchalant–like she's seen it before–while Daphne looked as shocked as I did.

The passenger window rolled down, and an old woman stuck out. Her eyes were covered by her yarn mop hair, and she spoke in a way that reminded me of the patients from my mom's speech therapy sessions. "Passage? Passage?"

"Three to Camp Half-Blood," Katie said. She opened the cab's back door and waved at me to get in, like this was all completely normal.

I looked at Daphne, and she looked at me, "After you." I shook my head, "Ladies first." She rolled her eyes and reluctantly got into the cab. I had this feeling of dread that was telling me that this wasn't a good idea. But since there were probably more monsters hiding somewhere, we didn't have much of a choice. Especially since Katie looked like she knew what she was doing.

"Where are we going?" I asked as I closed the cab door. Daphne was in-between me and Katie. The interior, just like its outside appearance, was also smoky gray, but like I said, it felt pretty real and solid. The seat was cracked and lumpy—no different from most taxis. There was no Plexiglas screen separating us from the old lady driving… Wait a minute. There wasn't just one old lady. There were three, all crammed in the front seat, each with stringy hair covering her eyes, bony hands, and a charcoal-colored sackcloth dress. I chose not to ask and turned back to Katie, repeating my question a little louder.

"To Camp Half-Blood."

"And what exactly is this camp?" Daphne asked.

"It's a camp for people like us."

I had to take a second to process that information. "You mean there are others like you?"

"Yes, there are others like _us_." She reiterated.

Daphne looked at me, and flashed me an indecipherable look, before turning back to the other girl. "Katie, What exactly are 'we' then?"

Katie looked at me, then at Daphne, "We're demi-gods."

Wow. "You mean like, child of the gods?" I suppose one week ago, I would have found it funny and absurd. But then you don't just meet a helhest, defeat a Minotaur, and meet someone with plant powers, and say all those things are just your imagination.

"Child of a god and a mortal. But yeah, child of the gods."

Then, there was an uncomfortable silence between us. I suppose Katie kept silent for us to absorb the information. But I couldn't seem to wrap my mind around the idea. I couldn't believe it.

I know what you're thinking, me? a demi-god? Whose child am I then? Why hadn't my mother told me? Maybe it was for my own good? At that time I thought that it's probably something related to my dad. But blech, we'll skip that stuff for later.

"What pantheon?" I looked at Daphne and she was looking at Katie. Her posture was different again. That regal air was back, and her southern accent was gone. Katie looked at Daphne, and her brows knit together in confusion, "What are you talking about?"

"What pantheon are we talking about?" Daphne asked, deathly serious. And even though she wasn't looking at me, I could feel her piercing gaze.

"O-Olympian." Katie said with a gulp. "Daphne… I… did I say something wrong?"

Then, her vibe shifted back. "N-No. I-I'm sorry." Daphne turned to me, and I saw a look in her eye. Fear–overwhelming fear. But the thing is, why was she suddenly so afraid?

"Don't worry, we'll be fine." I placed a hand over her shoulder and smiled at her. Though Daphne tried to keep it in, I've seen enough people (mom's patients) with expressions like hers that I knew there was something bothering her. She tried to smile too but I knew it wasn't genuine.

I turned back to the road and, wait a second. "Why is there a 'Welcome to Virginia' sign out there?"

"W-what?" Daphne stammered loudly. She leaned, and looked out the window, "Katie…" she started as we passed said sign, "just where is this camp you're talking about?" I knew we weren't in our State anymore; I barely recognized where I was. But, we'd only travelled for at least a couple of minutes, I turned to the one person who could explain what was happening.

Katie actually looked sheepish and apologetic, "New York."

And that was how I knew just how much trouble I'd gotten into.

* * *

DISCLAIMER:** The following is a work of FICTION**

**The events, characters and names are fictional and/or derived from real mythology**

**and the Percy Jackson and Kane Chronicles series are owned by Rick Riordan**

**By writing this fanfic, no offense in intended to anyone**

* * *

**NOTES: **I wonder what happens when Katie realizes that Theo's actually 100% mortal? And why was Daphne easily defeated by a Minotaur? She's a Valkyrie incarnate right? Well, that's what chapter 6 is for! -gets shot- Oh and, I know that the Grey Sisters' services doesn't extend to the whole country, but I'll also explain that in the next chapter. Thanks for the awesome review and love guys! Lastly, I did some fanart (well not really, because it's about OC!Theo) but if you wanna check it out, visit my profile. I've post the link there.


	6. Chapter 6

Title: _**My Hard to Believe Mythological Experience**_

Chapter 6: bloodlust and rainbows

* * *

To be an _**Einherjar**_

a hero must die a most _noble_ and selfless death.

A _**valkyrie**_ chooses her _**einherjar**_

but what happens when her current incarnation is _incomplete_?

* * *

Magic. The way I see it, that word seems pretty ludicrous— a most illogical explanation to all things incomprehensible.

When I was little, I used to love those things, like the vanishing quarter trick. Hey, I was gullible back then—why're you looking at me like I still am? _Anyway_...

That's why when Katie told us that magic was responsible for the near-impossible feat of going from Mississippi to Virginia in less than fifteen minutes (using only a taxi), I started laughing. Maniacally, if I might add. Well, she did not _exactly_ use the 'M' word, but she said it was because of gods. Yes, _gods_... as in plural.

Maybe it's because I was tired, but I know for sure that what I did wasn't the best reaction. And I didn't even find the whole thing funny—well it was kind of funny in the ironic, in-your-face kind of way, but that's beside the point.

For the most part, Daphne looked at me like I was insane. And my fits of laughter didn't discourage her otherwise.

On the other hand, Katie looked murderous. She was staring daggers at me, and if magic was possible (you can you shoot me later, for the bad joke), She'd probably have skinned me alive with that glare of hers.

"What's so funny?"

I had to hurt myself to tone it down, "Everything!" I couldn't help it, I burst out laughing again.

Katie pursed her lips.

"I-I'm sorry." I breathed, "It's just . . . I'm coping okay?"

"Ignore him, Katie." Daphne said briskly, eyeing me coolly and making me stop. "How do we explain all this to our parents?" she asked.

The brunette smiled, "Chiron will handle that."

"Who's he?" I asked. The name tickled my mind a bit. It sounded familiar, but I wasn't so sure.

"He's our go-to guy." Katie replied.

"Can't we just call them?" I remembered my phone, which was still inside my pocket.

"I don't think we should, Theo." Daphne said, "I mean, no one will believe us." She _d__id_ prove a good point. No one would have believed me. Would you? "And besides, they'll think Katie had kidnapped us or something. No offense."

Katie shook her head, "None taken."

I sunk deeper into the seat cushion, "Will they believe him?"

"Chiron can be... persuasive." Katie said vaguely.

After that, the rest of the journey was silent. Well, if you'd disregard the squabbling old lady-drivers. I didn't dare question as to why there were three... old... ladies driving the cab, but I kinda did wonder how they managed to fit through the drivers' seat.

* * *

The next thing I knew, we were dropped off at the base of some hill.

"Payment! Payment!" one of the old ladies screeched at me and Daphne.

I felt around in my pockets and brought out my wallet, "How does," I brought out a crisp 20 dollar bill, "20 bucks sound?" I know, do not remind me. I didn't bring much money with me, and that 20 dollar bill was the only thing inside my wallet.

The three of them started screaming again, "No mortal money! Drachma!"

"Here..." Katie said, handing five gold nuggets—or coins.

We got off the car and watched as the taxi evaporated.. or something.

"What're Drachmas?" I asked.

"Our currency." She said, turning to us. "Welcome to camp Half-Blood!" She extended her hands and did some sort of cheesy pose.

I nodded.

Just let her have her way, and don't piss her off.

Beside me, Daphne groaned, "I am never taking that cab again."

Katie chuckled, "Well, the Grey Sisters aren't known for their smooth driving." I didn't feel it though, because I sort of snoozed a bit inside the cab.

"Grey Sisters." I looked at the sport where the taxi faded, "Why does it sound so familiar?"

"They're the Graeae. They don't actually have a whole-country service thing. But mom pulled some strings—along with her son-in-law. My siblings tend to live in places not in New York. Now, C'mon!" she turned around and took the lead.

I didn't understand a thing she said. Who the hell is her mom? And based on Katie's description, she has a lot of brothers and sisters scattered through the country. I wasn't judging or anything, but that somehow sent me bad vibes.

Turning to Daphne, I noticed she looked deathly pale. "Are you alright?"

"This," her voice was wispy and weak, "isn't my pantheon."

What did she mean by that?

Still, I tried to comfort her, "We're here, Daphne. I think we'll be safe."

"I shouldn't be here, Theo." She whispered.

"What do you mean?"

Then I heard this neigh. A whole lot of them. And all the blood in my face drained. "Did you hear that?" It sounded awfully familiar. Or maybe I was just developing a fear of horses.

Daphne was already scanning the area, her hand unclasping her bracelet.

"Stay behind me, Theo." Daphne whispered, looking intently for any funny movements nearby.

I hadn't had the time to complain because the earth started to rumble. Frantically, I tried searching for where it had originated. "Daphne..." I squeaked as I found what I was looking for. Yes, they were helhests but we weren't facing one or two or three of them. It was a herd of them. At least more than one dozen, and all were running toward us. They breathed fire and incinerated everything that stood in their way. It didn't even make sense how something so far could make the earth shake so violently.

Daphne stood bravely in front of me, "Theo, I'll distract them while you go ahead." There was a flash of light, and after I blinked, her bracelet turned into her rapier.

"Are you kidding me? This is suicide! C'mon!" I grabbed her hand and started dragging her uphill.

"We won't make it." She gasped, still being dragged by me, "It's best if you leave me here. I'll slow them down, and you'll have a shot of getting out of this alive."

I shook my head, not slowing down, "Katie told us that this camp Half-Blood is safe," assuming that there was some magical barrier that would shield the camp from monsters. It might not have been much, but it was a thread of hope, I guess. "She also said that it's near." I squeezed her hand a little when she tried to wiggle away, "So let's go, Daphne. We'll both be safe."

We were half-way through when I saw a figure running towards us. "What're are th—" she didn't have time to finish what she was saying because I grabbed her hand and started dragging her too. My heart was pounding so hard, I thought it might burst out from my chest. "Katie, is you camp really that safe? At least from them?"

Katie seemed to get her composure back and started to run faster than me, "Yes, C'mon!"

"It's no use," I heard Daphne say, but I didn't look back because I tried to keep my pace. "They're catching up."

I held her hand tighter, "Then we'll just have to run faster." I had let go of Katie because she's way more used to this than me and Daphne. She was already at the top of the hill, beside a really big tree.

By now the neighs of the helhests reached my ears, and the whole area behind me felt hot.

Just a couple more steps and—

I groaned. This unseen force had pushed me back right when I was about to reach the peak. It sent me flying backwards.

"Theo?" Daphne came to my aid. She pulled me up and started dragging me to where Katie was standing.

And again, when I was about to reach the hilltop, I was flung backwards.

Katie rushed towards us, "Why can't you pass through the barrier?" she yelled disbelievingly.

"I don't know!" I yelled back, trying to stand up.

The herd of helhests was slowly nearing the base of the hill.

"I, Katie Gardner, grant Theodore Rogers permission to enter camp!" she yelled and started dragging me back on the other side of the hill. But like earlier, I was flung backwards, bouncing off from the barrier like a ball hitting a wall.

"Why didn't my permission work?" she then gasped, "Y-you're mortal?"

The helhests were halfway through the hill. I tried standing up again, exerting my body to its limits. Daphne stood in front of me, and an idea crossed my mind. I pushed Daphne forward, and unlike me, she just passed through. Granted, she let out a hurt scream as she did in the process, like it hurt passing through or I pushed too hard. If it's any consolation on my part, at least Daphne passed through.

"What was that for?" Daphne screamed, holding her sides. "That hurt you kno-" her irritation dissipated when she realized that she was through the unseen wall.

Again Katie tried to drag me and like before, I was hurled back.

I sat up slowly. My whole body hurt, my lungs felt like the air got knocked out it, and my head was pounding. At this point I was ready to give up. At least they'll be safe, "Katie... it's fine." I sucked in a deep breath, "Just go."

"I'm not leaving you behind." Daphne hissed, standing up.

"And so am I!" Katie yelled.

"I'll be fine." I reassured. I smiled half-heartedly, trying to convince them but Daphne didn't believe any of it.

"We'll make it out of this alive!" she grinned at me and tried passing through the barrier. Her face contorted in pain, but once she went through, her smile returned. "All of us."

I shook my head, "It won't be safe. You have to go back." Hesitantly, I pushed her back into the unseen blockade. I could feel the earth shaking more violently than before since the herd was almost uphill. "C'mon guys, go now!" I turned to Daphne one last time. My eyes widened when I noticed this aura enveloping her.

"I won't." Her voice was strained. The color of the aura was pale purple, and it slowly grew in intensity. It felt warm and tingly on my skin. The galloping sounds behind me were much louder than before, and I think they're only a couple of meters. I looked at Daphne, and she looked at me.

"I won't give up on you!" and then there was this indescribable power. And all of my senses faded into darkness.

* * *

I slowly opened my eyes, realizing I was snuggled comfortably in a bed.

Where. . . am I?

I tried to sit up, but my body hurt so much I could barely lift my, much less my whole body.

No one seemed to be around. Just me, in this room. I looked around and thought maybe I was in some sort of infirmary or hospital or something.

The window to my right... is that? My eyes widened; that's the place I was in earlier.

"Are you awake?" A voice asked.

There standing by the door frame was Daphne.

"Yeah," I managed to croak.

She exhaled in relief and took a seat by my bed, "Good. I was getting worried..."

"What," I mumbled, "What happened?" My voice sounded hoarse because my mouth felt dry and nasty.

Daphne picked up something on the table next to me, "Here." It was a tall drink. Again, I tried to sit up and because Daphne lent a hand, I managed to do it.

"How long was I out?" I asked after taking a careful sip.

"Not too long." She said.

"What happened?" I asked again.

She avoided eye contact with me, "I don't know."

I tilted my head, "You don't know or you don't want to tell me?" By then, I knew she kept something to herself, something that she didn't feel like sharing. Well, I could live with that, as long as it's not bad. I looked away when she didn't answer. The view outside was breathtaking; an open meadow with wild vegetation and some hill with a giant tree at the top. And it made me wonder how the flora around seemed so lush and vibrant when December in New York is anything but lush and vibrant. The last thing I remember is seeing Daphne glow and me shielding my eyes. I don't recall getting hit by something, but I guess something did because my whole body hurt—particularly my chest and thighs. Maybe I got trampled on by one of the helhests? What happened to them anyway? And Katie! Is she alright?

"Daphne?" she looked at me, "Er... are we safe here? Are you hurt? What about Katie? Is she alright?"

Somehow, she grinned at all of my questions, "Yes, we're safe. And so is Katie. She's just talking to someone."

"Oh." I said lamely.

We were silent until I heard some footstep or was it hooves? I tensed. It sounded awfully familiar and with me being paranoid (or developing that fear of horses I was telling you about), I thought maybe it was another helhest.

"Hey! What're you doing?" Daphne screamed, pushing me gently back into bed. I protested a bit, wiggling and trying to sit up Daphne about the hooves I heard but she wasn't listening to anything I was saying.

"Is everything alright here?" A deep voice asked.

I... I... I was shocked.

"Er..." this man-thing entered the room. I saw that his upper body is full man's but his lower half is horse's. He noticed me noticing his legs-er, horse body-thing.

"Yes, I'm a centaur." The man said as he walked towards us, "And it's simply rude to stare."

I blushed and I turned away. "I'm sorry."

The man chuckled and placed a hand on my shoulder, "Hello Theodore, My name is Chiron."

Anything after that, well, I can't remember because I promptly fainted. Again.

How embarrassing.

* * *

Yeah, yeah, I'm a wuss. Get over it.

You'd think that with all the weird dreams I'd been having, I'd be used to it by now. But no. Not really... Wait-

There's someone... running.

Everything is dark, and all I can see is her. A girl, no, a lady. With her dress billowing gracefully as she ran

There's something peculiar about her though, and as she came closer I saw wings sprouting from her back. Butterfly wings? Not so sure. It didn't looked like her wings were attached to her though, because her wings were made of light. The color surprised me when it kept changing hues—first red, then orange, then yellow, green, blue. It's as if she had two sets rainbows as her wings. I know, weird but I can't really explain it properly.

However, the color felt dull in the blackness we were in. After all, black absorbs all colors.

Slowly, I followed her. Then, out of the corner of my eye, something twinkled. Sort of like a lone star in an empty sky. And I could see that this woman was running towards it.

I didn't know why she was running, but it looked like she was running as if her life depended on it. I stopped and turned my head to look back.

Blood red eyes. Staring. No, glaring. Hovering through the darkness with finesse and skill, and growing bigger as it drew closer and closer to us. It was as if those eyes were telling me one thing; _bloodlust_.

I've seen eyes like that before. Once. It's a stare I never want to see again. Especially since mom almost would've...

"What brings you here?" someone asked. The twinkling star no longer appeared tiny and was big enough to fit someone.

The lady stepped out of the void and into an... elevator? Okay, this officially takes the cake. The interior was made with shiny gold metal accented by some soft-looking red carpet. Inside the elevator, a pale-skinned man dressed in a dark velvety suit was standing by the floor buttons. He had dark greyish hair despite his features telling me that he was in his mid or late twenties. His eyes were deep blue and his face was unshaven but properly well-trimmed. He looked a bit burly, sort of like a mix between a football and hockey player. But what stood out the most was his ridiculous rainbow-striped necktie. It didn't exactly go well with his whole look and feel.

The woman was huffing. Through her sandy-colored hair, I could see her light brown eyes (or is it yellowish? Maybe dark orange-brown? I can't be sure) her unwavering determination. "I bring a message from my husband." Her wings fluttered and seemed to get brighter as she got her breathing right.

The door was still open, and the glowing red eyes neared us in an astounding speed.

"Quickly!" the woman said, "We must close the entrance."

The man gawked at the red eyes, "By the gods." The woman tore his gaze away from those eyes to get his attention, "Hurry!"

"But," he stuttered, "My... my horn." He reached for a hidden compartment beside him and opened a trap door. Inside, I could see a curved looking horn.

The woman pulled him away, "No, this is what I must stop." She closed the trap door and pressed some buttons. Instead of sliding doors, I was surprised to see a wall of blue translucent light forming. Apparently that wall of light could hold that er... whatever that thing outside is because the red eyes turned into slits, and stopped right in front of us. The man, woman and I held our breaths as we watched if it would do something. For a couple of seconds nothing happened; those pair of eyes simply glared at us, occasionally blinking and breathing too loudly. I gulped. It isn't exactly comfortable being confined in a small space while something dangerous waits outside. After what felt like hours of staring, those eyes moved back and slowly faded into the darkness, but not before it let out a piecing howl.

"You better have an explanation for this..." the man said, sighing in relief.

The woman collapsed onto the ground, "I told you. I bring a message to your leader." I think she struggled to find a more appropriate word than leader.

His eyes scrutinized her, "You're not from my pantheon, are you?" he said carefully. Pantheon? I've heard Daphne use that word before. What do specific cultural gods have to do with all this?

"I'm merely a messenger," she said, "My origin matters not."

"Well, my lady, if you managed to withhold my pantheon's apocalypse then it's got to be something," he crossed his arms, "Humor me."

She nodded, "Baldur still lives." I saw his eyes widen, "And Morpheus knows where he's being kept captive."

* * *

I awoke with the sounds of muffled jabbering. I couldn't understand what they were saying but I heard snippets of their conversation.

"...e's the first mortal who..." Chiron?

"...ow about the barrier? How did he..." said another deep male voice.

I managed to open my eyes a little bit, stirring in the bed I lay in. The voices stopped abruptly, and I kind of felt their gazes on me. I sat up and looked at everyone in the room. Daphne was there sitting relatively close to my side, that's good start since at least someone I know was with me, along with Chiron and... another guy. Well he looked off. Okay, he looked really _bad_. Like he had a drinking marathon of the strongest alcohol out there the night before and was forcibly woken up today. His eyes were bloodshot, he was nursing a growing unkempt beard and he appeared to be inclined to the 'too healthy' category. Well, at least he gave me the impression that he's well-mannered. That's good enough.

His gaze on me felt unnerving. Sort of like the times when Mom is thinking very deeply about something I did.

The atmosphere definitely made me uncomfortable, and I think I was starting to tremble with just that glare of his.

"You have a lot of explaining to do." He said grimly, turning around and exiting the room. "Come see me when you're ready."

"I think he likes you." Chiron said, "Well, you _are_ mortal."

Looking at the two other people in the room, I said, "I don't think I want to know."

"We're wondering how a mortal, an ordinary mortal managed to go through the barrier." Chiron interpreted.

I shot a look at Daphne, and she just looked at me and shook her head. Sighing, "Well, I got pushed back by some invisible wall when I tried to pass the big tree by that hill." I pointed to where Katie, Daphne and I had been earlier, "Then," Daphne was motioning for me to stop talking. It's a good thing Chiron's back was facing her because he would've definitely known something was up. "Then, I blacked out." It's the basic truth really, and I had no idea how I managed to pass through that solid barrier, "And woke up an hour or two later then you entered and I fainted again." Chiron smiled sheepishly, "Then I had this weird dream then I woke up again. With three people surrounding me. Er, two people and a centaur."

Chiron laughed a little, not offended by my jibe. I think he's got this grandfatherly vibe which I'm thankful for because I think I wasn't handling the situation very properly. Actually, I found myself grinning back.

"Well, I want to know if we could contact our parents." Daphne said, destroying the mood. But it did make me realize that no one knows where Daphne and I are. I'm pretty sure Mom is close to a mental breakdown by now.

Then I recalled my phone inside my pocket. I slipped my hand inside my pocket and realize that it was missing. I checked my other pockets. Nothing.

"Theodore?" Chiron asked, "Is something the matter?"

"I seem to have forgotten where I placed my cell phone."

Chiron had this solemn look, "We don't use cell phones here." Somehow, I didn't like where this was going, "so we had to confiscate it."

I sighed, trying my best to control my simmering anger, I _did_ love my phone. "A telephone then?"

He shook his head, "Monsters. Well, they get attracted to," he paused, "let us just say they get attracted to the voices of demigods." He gave Daphne a meaningful look.

"Can we start from the beginning?" I asked. "I'm kind of new to this whole thing."

The story that followed is just as unbelievable as it is awesome. Trust me on this one.

* * *

DISCLAIMER:** The following is a work of FICTION**

**The events, characters and names are fictional and/or derived from real mythology**

**and the Percy Jackson and Kane Chronicles series are owned by Rick Riordan**

**By writing this fanfic, no offense in intended to anyone**

* * *

**NOTES: **I feel bad I haven't updating this work regularly, but I was busy.

Ever wonder why Theo keeps getting the weird dreams? And why is it always about crisscrossing pantheons? How did Iris prevent Heimdall from sounding his horn and alerting the other gods? How the hell did she manage to delay Ragnarok? What happened to Set and Loki? And what's this about Baldur still being alive? Kinda messy, but I think that's what the next chapter's gonna be about. Oh, and take not, that this story takes place after the fifth book and before 'The Lost Hero.'


	7. Chapter 7

Title: _**My Hard to Believe Mythological Experience**_

Chapter 7: gods and goddesses

* * *

To be an _**Einherjar**_

a hero must die a most _noble_ and selfless death.

A _**valkyrie**_ chooses her _**einherjar**_

but what happens when her current incarnation is _incomplete_?

* * *

Surprisingly, I think I've handled the whole situation well. Considering I got plucked from my assumingly ordinary life.

The gist of it all is that there are actually gods. Real life, breathing Olympian gods. (Well, I'm not sure about the breathing part but you know what I'm talking about.)

Chiron explained to us that gods are different (er, how do I say this) beings altogether. With more… _varied_… morals and ethics. They certainly DO NOT have DNAs with all the concepts of incest, inbreeding and taboo going on in their pantheon. Don't tell them that I said that though because, in my opinion, it's wrong (morals, ethics and all that) to have relationships with your cousins–like, even if they're not exactly related by blood and their parents happen to be gods – okay, you know what, this topic is making me uncomfortable. Can we change the topic?

So… these gods are tasked with keeping everything in order, at least according to their specific jurisdiction and such. And to help them in their tasks, (or, simply for no apparent reason) they sire children or demigods with mortals. Take note, the more powerful the god parent is, the more powerful and dangerous a demigod.

Did you know that just some time ago, this Percy guy helped defeat the titan of time? How cool is that?

I wanted to ask though, since Daphne was able to pass through the barrier, does that make her a demigod too? What about her parents then? I mean they obviously share similar hereditary traits and all. Maybe-

"-at's why we have this camp. To train and prepare demigods for the real world." Was what I heard when I tuned back to Chiron. He caught me with my thinking expression. "Yes Theodore?"

"Do you think Daphne's a demigod too?"

The place I'm in, Camp Half-Blood, is exclusively for demigods. No really, _only_ demigods could enter camp. Well, there's me, and I'm mortal, but mortals like me usually don't get to enter. That's not to say, you_should_ try entering camp when you're a mortal because it hurts. Hurts like a bi-hurts a lot.

"We'll know when she gets claimed." Chiron told us with a smile.

"What do you mean claimed?" I was feeling a lot better so Chiron said it would be best if we go visit the man from earlier.

"When your parent," Chiron started, "specifically god parent realize that a child from them is inside the camp, they claim you as their child."

I have no idea how they do this so-called claiming and my mind was already running wild with images, images I'd really think were too graphic. "Is it painful?" I asked, random, I know. But hey, there are no stupid questions, just stupid answers.

The centaur tilted his head, stared at me, then laughed, "I suppose not."

We stopped by this big wooden door; Chiron looked at us one final time before opening it.

I could tell the place was Chiron's office because of all his pictures of himself and other people on the walls. What's weird though, was the man sitting in what's supposed to be Chiron's seat. He was looking at us with this observing expression beneath his apathetic face.

"Be nice, Dionysus." Chiron warned, though I guess he was only trying to break the ice.

Dionysus shrugged, "Mortals."

It was at that moment that I realized just who the guy was, "Are you really?"

The god (yes, he's a god) broke into a grin, "Took you long enough."

Daphne stared at me, "What?"

"God of wine," I whispered. And Daphne's eyes widened at seeing the man on the seat. However, he didn't look like a god to me; just some burly guy in need of a shave and good sleep. (He honestly looked like he was both drunk and nursing a hangover.)

Dionysus stood up, "I'm guessing only one of you is mortal." He looked at me then Daphne then back to me, "Boy, I'm surprised you have been driven insane yet."

"He could see through the mist." Chiron supplied.

"Yeah?" Dionysus asked. "But that's all there is right?" he was staring at me, this time expecting an answer. I nodded, figuring it would've been best to stay on his good side. Something told me this being could do a lot of painful and horrifying things.

"So, that means I get to go home?" I asked hopefully.

"Maybe, maybe not. We don't know that yet. For all we know you could be a…" he stared at me and I felt like he just tore right through my psyche and peered into my soul, which me feel like I was stripped naked in front of him, "Nope, pure mortal."

"Which would explain why Katie's permission didn't work." Chiron said stroking his beard.

Dionysus waved a hand at the centaur, "There are still many other ways to enter camp. Remember Rachel?" Chiron nodded at this, "So I ask this to you, boy, how _did_ you manage to get through the barrier?"

And that's when I told them everything. Except the part where the helhest things got mixed. Daphne kept sparing worried glances each time I neared a situation which might have exposed her secrets, but I now knew her well enough to know that it's a secret only she should be allowed to share to everyone. Besides, I knew how to make up a believable story (Son of a deception expert here, thank you very much.)

"Really?" Dionysus raised a brow; "You helped defeat a minotaur?" it didn't seem that he believed the facts.

"Helped defeat one," I reiterated, "Katie did something with the grass and I threw a javelin, it hit and 'poof!' it became pixie dust."

Dionysus did something with his hand and just like that a can of diet coke appeared out of nowhere. He must've seen my astonished expression because he smirked, "You haven't seen anything yet, kid."

He brought out a pen from his pocket and placed it on the table. "Here," he said, "Pick it up."

It tried but it seemed to pass through me, like an illusion or a hologram.

"Well that's enlightening." remarked Dionysus, "At least we know that you're completely mortal."

"What is it, anyway?" I tried to scoop it up again and like before, it passed right through me.

"Celestial bronze. Daphne, would you mind picking it up?" Chiron asked.

Daphne did, and with ease, like it was made from feathers or something. "It's a little heavy though. For a pen."

Dionysus looked at me, "So you see, I find it hard to believe that you managed to defeat that minotaur."

"How's picking up that pen related to the minotaur?"

Chiron placed a hand on my shoulder; it calmed me down somewhat, "Theodore, you have to understand that the only way you could've defeated a monster is by using weapons made from Celestial bronze. Dionysus, his story, however, checks in with Katie's. We should give them the benefit of the doubt."

"Well, the child of Demeter doesn't look like the type to lie." Dionysus agreed, "But I still don't understand how a mor-"

"We have a more pressing matter, Dionysus." A new voice said.

All of us turned to the door and saw a robed little girl with brownish hair, her eyes would've looked warm and inviting if not for her stern face.

Dionysus brow rose, "Hestia?" the name rang a bell in my head. "I'm frankly surprised you're here."

She shrugged, "We have more _pressing_ matters."

She looked at me and Daphne, with a gaze that was similar to that of a mother's, which was really weird because she's like, eight or something. "Before that, Chiron," the centaur nodded, "kindly show our guest around the camp while Dionysus and I interrogate the intruder in the room"

Chiron nodded, "Sure, I'll lead Daphne…"

"I was talking about the boy." Hestia corrected, "Guests have always been welcomed here; be they demigods, god or mortal." It was really something, with that motherly smile on her face as she looked at me. Unfortunately, her gaze upon Daphne was nothing but pure disdain.

"She however, is not welcome in our home."

Home… she's _Hestia_. I mean the virgin goddess of hearth and home.

Chiron was floored, "But, she's a demigod."

"A demigod, yes, but not from _our_ brethren. She's got this familiar air."

"What do you mean?"

"Chiron, you are aware why we do not generally want our demigods on the eastern side of the river, yes?" Okay, I have no idea what they're talking about, but I just rolled with it.

"Yes, the magicians of the House of Life tend to be… incorrigible and territorial." He said stroking his beard, "But how does that relate with the Egyptians?"

Dionysus looked like he was getting on the idea but frowned immediately, "She doesn't feel _Kemetic_. She is more… rough around the edges."

Hestia nodded, "Dionysus, before you were born, there was another house of worship. One that varied differently from ours and the primordial gods of Ancient Egypt. They're a pantheon that went in cycles. Of never ending and predisposed battles. A cycle of birth and destruction, of loyalties and betrayals. And whose prophesied destruction came from the manipulation and efforts of a single god."

Daphne looked like she was struggling; her knees were shaking as Hestia spoke.

"Daphne, are you okay?" I asked.

She swallowed and replied in whispered tones, "Yes, I'm just trying to… control _her_."

"Times of today called them Norse gods." Perhaps I'd known that bit of information all along; I mean, c'mon, I've had a couple of close-ups with helhests. Not to mention Daphne and her split personality thingy going on. Didn't she call herself a Valkyrie once?

"What happened to them?" Dionysus asked, and I listened well and truly.

Hestia shrugged, "I can't really say. My father generally didn't mingle with them, Zeus didn't either. When he freed me and my siblings, they were already at the end of their cycle. Then centuries later, their cycle started anew only to end in a similar fate. I'm not entirely sure, but I've I think I have lived through a few of their apocalypse."

"Why don't I know about this?" Dionysus asked.

Hestia glanced at me and Daphne, "Well, my brother and your father, Zeus, didn't like how their system works. Didn't like the amount of blood they shed. Hades hated them for _scavenging_ mortal souls for their inevitable battles. So every cycle, Zeus makes a pact with their lord that in no way should our pantheon be bothered by them just as we will leave them alone. And the less people that know of their existence the better." She looked pensive, "And now that I think about it, their current cycle's already taking quite some time to finish."

"So you're saying, Daphne here is a demigod from the Norse gods?" Chiron summarized.

"I do not know for sure." She looked at Daphne with a taunting and knowing look. "In any case, Theodore was it, I'm pretty sure you're still tired from the… episode… from earlier, Chiron, would you mind showing him the camp and getting him acquainted with a cabin."

I looked apprehensive as Chiron led me to the door. Daphne looked at me with an unreadable expression. I tried putting myself in her shoes. And the thoughts and scenarios my mind made up made me nervous. "But what about-"

"Do not worry, we will not harm her. At least, until we've heard her true intentions." Hestia told me with her warm, homey smile.

"See you, Theodore." There was a small smile on Daphne.

I nodded solemnly, feeling worse with each step I took.

* * *

Let's get something straight.

This. Camp. Owns.

C'mon, there was real _lava_ pouring out from their mountain climbing range! That alone is 4.5 out of 5 in the coolness factor. Did I mention that their armory had everything! And by everything, I mean _everything;_from really old-style weapons to weapons I would've only seen in science fiction movies. I even got chased out from Hephaestus's cabin for playing with their plasma gun prototype thing, in retrospect however; I think I _might've_ vaporized their… nevermind.

I also got to meet harpies, satyrs and wood nymphs here! Harpies looked weird, satyrs had cool legs and had a thing with aluminum cans, and wood nymphs were a bit shy when I neared them. But there was this wood nymph that was nice to me and complained to Chiron about poop dropping from the sky because of… the Pegasus! Holy crap, I got to go near my first Pegasus! And no, they're not all white; they're just like normal horses only with wings. Chiron didn't risk a test flight though, even if I've ridden horses before. (Dude, you're talking to a country boy here whose best friend's family owns a farm. And yes, I know the difference between a Pegasus and a horse, but I figured they're basically the same.)

All in all, this camp is awesome.

It just blows that Daphne wasn't here to see everything.

The thought made me sulk.

"What's wrong?"

We were walking on the camp grounds. I was probably frowning like hell for him to ask that, and a frowning me looks like (as my friend Tony described as) a constipated wrinkly man.

"It's just…" Truthfully, I couldn't find the words.

Chiron smiled, "Do not worry, Theodore," Chiron flashed me a smile; "A goddess takes her words very seriously." Well, that might've calmed me down a bit but I just can't help it. It's like; I _have_ to be around her. And no, I _do not_ like her.

It had taken most of the afternoon for the tour to finish, so Chiron led me to Katie, who was more than happy to have me as a guest in their cabin.

Oh, I forgot to tell you, for every god in the Olympus, there was a specific cabin for their children. So, when a demigod finds their way here, they get claimed. And when they get claimed, they get to live with their half-brothers and half-sisters. Pretty weird though, having to meet your siblings from different parents.

Back to the topic of cabins, Katie introduced me to her other cabin mates; Jeremy and Miranda. Jeremy just arrived yesterday, after a monster attack him at his school. Luckily satyrs gets assigned to all of the schools in the country to scout for demigods, and thankfully, the satyr stationed at his school saved him and brought him here. Miranda was one of the more senior campers, so she told me. Like, she arrived one year after Katie arrived. Did you know that she and Katie helped fight against the forces of the titan of time? Yeah, pretty intense.

When I got settled in, Katie - Everyone in the cabin, basically (even Jeremy) - wanted me to rest.

So I took a nap. Only to have another one of my weird dreams again.

* * *

It was that feeling again, like I got sucked into a freezing whirlpool or something.

So there I was, standing in a dark space. (Again, why do these weird dreams keep on happening to me?) Then I saw something form in front of me.

It was a woman with striking features. Albeit, a very lithe-looking one, but she looked… ruthless, snooty maybe, but there was also her undeniable beauty, multiplied by her dark eyes and straight, jet black hair. She was wearing a grey business suit, and oddly enough, lens-less glasses.

She was talking to a handheld phone, and was obviously working up a storm with her words, "Well, I don't care if Hermes said he'd redirected you to me," she stopped as the other line said something, "Yes, I'm just going to see if… Yes… it's just that I'm worried… Really Monnie, I'm not… Look, I just." She grunted, "Fine, I'll be back as soon as I can. Love you. Bye!" and she hang up.

She killed the call and pocketed her phone.

She stared ahead, and observed the room with one sweep of her head. She settled a bit when she landed on my spot, I'm guessing she sensed my presence –seen me even– but she chose to ignore me in the end. She tapped her heeled foot impatiently, "Hide-and-seek isn't really your thing, Loki."

I heard footsteps coming towards us. Then a man appeared. With his auburn hair and fiery brown eyes, he stood in front of the woman. He wore a ridiculously bright red outfit that somehow matched and complemented his hair, eyes and pale complexion.

"What brings you here? Dear sister?"

The woman scowled and flipped her hair, "And you have the audacity to call me sister?"

The man chuckled, "What's life like in your prison? Having to restrain yourself in causing true discord. Wonder what that's like?" He taunted in a way like he was having a pleasant conversation with her.

The woman's scowl deepened then let out a huff, "At least, I'm no barbarian like you. And I don't need to conceive discord myself, mortals do it all on their own."

He nodded glumly; like that bit of information was disappointing. "Yes, sad fact, that one. If only you were-"

"Why am I getting stronger?"

The man did an outlandish, feigned shock. Sorta like watching bad soap operas, "My-my, you grow in power and you think it was _me_ who's cooking up the stew?"

"I _know_ it's you." She walked towards him and crossed her arms, "What're you up to? My sister's already worried that I'm going to be forced to facilitate discord because of my accumulating powers. So I ask you again, what are you up to?"

"Nothing, my dear." He was smiling, feigned innocence, but she looked like she was buying it.

"Really?"

"Really." She studied his face a little. I could clearly see some of the indicators of his deception, I read about them in some of my mom's notes and books, but I guess the woman didn't know about these things.

She turned around and I wanted to cry out to her because he raised a finger and pointed it to her, "Well, you forget, my dear sister, I am also a god of deception." And a blast of flame erupted from his hand.

The woman had only a few milliseconds to respond but I saw her dodge it. But she still got hit and flew back, landing on the floor, suit aflame and all. She did not burn though, not even her hair. Furiously, she stood up, "You… You impudent-!"

"Save it, sister. I find your very existence an insult to Chaos. You, your sister, even our brother." He flicked his fingers and a man appeared in the middle, tied in chains and hanging in midair.

The woman gasped, "Set! Brother!"

Set – the Egyptian god? – groaned and looked up. His face was bleeding; bruised cheeks and busted lips. He too wore something that looked similar to Loki over there but it was tattered and caked with dried blood.

"E-Eris?" Goddess of discord, twin sister to Harmonia – of Harmony. So we've got three deities of discord.

"Loki, I demand you release him!"

"Demand!" Loki looked surprised, "Eris, my dear, you're in no position to demand _anything_."

"He's our brother by jurisdiction, Loki. Release him!" she fired a concentrated beam of light to the chains, but the chains wouldn't break.

"It's your sentimentally with kin that'll be your downfall." Loki sniffed.

"What the hell are you talking about?" she stomped her heeled foot. Finding it impossible to break the chains.

"Hell? Hel? I have a daughter named Hel… Like you, she's also imprisoned." He laughed maniacally. "But unlike you, she has _me_. And I will free her."

"You're crazy." Eris said jumping and latching on the chains of the hanging man.

"It's no use, my dear sister," Loki taunted, "Those chains have been reinforced by my… newfound powers."

"What newfound powers?"

Loki clicked his fingers and that familiar orb of something appeared again, only this time, it was bigger and it exerted more force around it. I mean, being at least a couple of meters away from it, I could still feel the_searing_ heat. Except it's not exactly hot, more on, like… something that could be about becoming undone or being reduced to nothing.

"A little demonstration too, if you want." He waved a hand, and another black-haired woman, bound by the same chain as Set, appeared above the sphere. Wearing something that looked like a Shinto priestess garb thing, she struggled against the chains.

"Eris, meet Ammy. Ammy, meet my sister Eris." Spoke Loki like he was introducing two people in a playdate. "She's also known as Amaterasu. Sun goddess to those… Japanese folk."

"Barbarian, you'll never get away with this." The captive woman said, body and posture full of pride and confidence.

"I don't think you realize the gravity of the situation." He snapped his fingers again, and the Ammy dropped towards the sphere, swallowing the woman in the process. The sphere grew, and "Get it? Gravity of the situation?" He laughed like he said the best joke of them all.

"I take 'crazy' back, you're insane. What did you do to her?" she glared at Loki.

Set groaned again, "E-Eris… run."

"But I can't just leave yo-"

"…Flee… everyone must know… about…"

There was another snap, and I could see the chains tighten around Set. "But you see, dear brother, since our kindly sister's already seen me, I can't really let her leave now, can I?"

"Go…" Set hissed.

Eris hesitated, but did as she was told; she stopped trying to cut the chains and made a dash away from Loki.

I was just about to see if he'd catch her when that tugging feeling came again. Only this time, I felt my surrounding shake as I did so.

* * *

I woke up at the sound of Katie gently shaking me awake, telling me it's time for dinner.

* * *

DISCLAIMER:** The following is a work of FICTION**

**The events, characters and names are fictional and/or derived from real mythology**

**and the Percy Jackson and Kane Chronicles series are owned by Rick Riordan**

**By writing this fanfic, no offense in intended to anyone**


	8. Chapter 8

Title: _**My Hard to Believe Mythological Experience**_

Chapter 8: where we meet 8-foot tall supermodels.

* * *

To be an _**Einherjar**_

a hero must die a most _noble_ and selfless death.

A _**valkyrie**_ chooses her _**einherjar**_

but what happens when her current incarnation is _incomplete_?

* * *

Being partly dragged by Katie as you walked to the camp's dining hall is not something you'd want to experience, trust me on this one.

Anyway, she led me to this awesome outdoor hall that had specific tables for specific cabins–thus demigods are categorized based on their parents, again. The place at night looked so awesome (I cannot abuse that word enough when I'm here) because not only is it _in_ the outdoors, it had the authentic looking Greek-thingy feel with all the décor like torches and stuff _and_ the entire ambience of the place itself was perfect. Imagine it; the stars had never looked so bright, the night was uncharacteristically warm for a December, and there was a cozy camp fire going on at the center of the hall.

There were not much people in camp though – well not according to Katie's standards – seeing as most tables were unoccupied. I reckoned that the entire population of the camp right now is fewer than two to three dozen people. (And that was including me, Daphne, Chiron and all the staff members.)

The feast (I suppose to normal people, we prefer the term dinner but who am I to argue with terminology here?) was already happening when we arrived.

"Everyone," was what Chiron said that killed all the senseless chatter, "Tonight, an honored guest is among us." He spared me a passing glance, and it's like, everyone saw that look in Chiron's eyes. "For the time being I'd like to ask-" Katie's hands already rose high and proud, "We'll take him in, in our cabin."

Chiron nodded, "Well, seems like you've taken quite an interest on the lad," his jive was met with laughter and a heavy blushing on my part.

Katie shrugged nonchalantly, "We're country folk; we stick together."

After that Chiron continued the feast.

* * *

"Katie, have you seen Daphne?" there was a growing sense of worry in me, since it's been hours since I've last seen her. And not seeing her there in the dining hall definitely kicked that feeling to overdrive. Especially since supper time has already passed.

"No," Katie answered.

"Do you think… Is it possible to… er, check in on her?" I hate that I'm stammering. Why am I even stammering in the first place? Stupid mouth.

"Sure, I guess so. Let's just ask Chiron first." She looked around, and not finding him, "We should go to his office."

So we decided to go look for him.

Walking around, we passed by other campers. Campers who were mostly on their way to their respective cabins. A lot of them were tired and had little to no conversation to us, but some… let's just say they were pretty interesting.

Like the Stoll brothers. They're twins. Sons of Hermes. And boy do they know how to push Katie's buttons.

To tell you the truth, I've never seen Katie – passive and somewhat pacifist Katie – to be so volatile before. She wasn't easy to anger at school. Definitely not in our hometown. Just here, particularly with those bozos.

What's more interesting though, was when Katie got fed up with the twin's antics and had stormed out, one of them, the guy named Travis, actually came to me and _threatened_ me.

"Listen," he started, "If you do so much as _think_ about touching her, you'll answer to _me_."

At first, I haven't got any clue as to why he attacked me in that way. Until I remembered something that my mom had told me.

I grinned. This dude is attracted to Katie. That's why there's all these teasing and stuff. I never really paid attention to the things that came out from my mom's lips until now. Maybe I should listen to her more? Not likely, she talks worse than my history teacher.

"You should probably lose the attitude." I gave him a pat on the shoulder, "Maybe then she'll appreciate you more." And then I went looking for Katie. (Not before I chanced a look on Travis' face. And boy, he looked like he swallowed a lemon!)

I also met two girls too; a blonde named Annabeth and a redhead named Clarisse. Katie was chatting with the blonde girl when I found her.

Annabeth is this super genius, apparently a genius _among_ geniuses. A genius among geniuses who all happened to be children of Athena. Which is kind of weird because I thought of Athena was a virgin. Whatever the reasons were, well, to me, she 'aint very virginal anymore.

"My conception and birth is of no concern to you, Theodore." was exactly what she told me when I verbalized those thoughts.

"Sorry," I muttered under my breath.

Anyway, Annabeth is really something; currently she is the head architect on the reconstruction of Olympus because of its… well, because of the battle that Percy fought on and won. Did I mention they were dating? So yeah, I guess I might've accidentally caused my own death.

I'd hate to be the receiving end of this Percy guy's wrath too, especially now that I've somehow insulted Annabeth's mother. Oh crap, I am so dead. I imagine this Percy guy's all buff and Hulk-like and stuff and he could break me like a twig.

Luckily for me, this Percy guy is not here.

And luckily for the two of us, we quickly found a common ground–my mom. (As weird as that sounds.)

Turns out, Annabeth has taken an interest in my mom's work lately. She tells me that she's fascinated with all of my mom's findings.

"It's astonishing, to be honest." she told me earnestly, like I hadn't accidentally insulted her mother earlier, "Your mother's work is the front runner in deception awareness."

"Yeah, Yeah. Annabeth, we really need to get going." Katie said, grabbing my arm and pulling me away.

I looked at Katie, "what was that about?"

She laughed, "When you get Annabeth Chase going, she's never going to stop."

I met Clarisse a little later. When I've finally found Daphne.

Backtracking a bit, Katie dropped me off at Chiron's office. And when I entered, Daphne was still talking to Dionysus and Hestia.

The two gods looked at me and Dionysus said, "It's gotten pretty late. Why don't we retire for now?" Hestia nodded, "Yes. Rest for the tired and weary. Daphne, for the time being, I shall offer my humble cabin as your sleeping chambers. Will that be adequate enough?"

Holy crap, are these people for real? They talk like some cheesy Shakespearean play or something. To Daphne no less. Then again they were gods, and who am I to criticize how they talk.

"Have you found a place to stay, boy?" Dionysus asked. I nodded, "Katie's offered a bed in her cabin."

"Good. Because you're going home tomorrow."

"As soon as possible?"

"As soon as possible."

I let out a hearty exhale, "Thank you."

* * *

"So," the awkwardness is back again. Because it's just me and Daphne. Because Katie was nowhere to be found. And because well, I have no idea how to talk to her. So far, she was doing a pretty good job of keeping me at arms' length. "…what did you guys talk about?"

"Things."

"Ah." Obviously I'm curious as to what those _things_ were but I've known Daphne well enough that she's never one to share.

"Have you eaten?" I tried that approach. We were walking, and we had no idea where we were going. It is dark too, save for the torches and starlight.

She nodded.

"That's good."

We stay silent for a couple of moments, walking beside each other – with a huge gap, mind you – and looking if someone would find us, break the tension and tell us where to go.

"I'm glad you're okay."

Of course, I could only thank her, albeit smiling. Stupidly.

"I'm going home tomorrow."

"I know, I was there."

It's kind of sad. Me getting 'kicked out' of camp. But C'mon, even _I_ knew these… gods thing… is not for me.

"How about you then?" I asked when we neared an intersection.

"I think… I'll stay here for a while."

"How about your parents?"

Daphne played with the hem of her shirt, "Chiron and Mr. D said they'd take care of it."

Just then, we were approached by an intimidating redhead. By intimidating, I mean, one in the form of a female amazon-like woman in Greek armor and spear. "What're you two doing up this late?" she looked at me, "Hey, I know you, you're our guest." She turned to Dapnhe, "But you… Never seen you before."

"I-I'm Theo." I offered a handshake–which she chose to ignore by the way.

Her reply was short and concise, "Clarisse. Now, her?"

"Daphne."

Daphne and Clarisse stared hard at each other. Clarisse lowered her weapon, but I could still feel her tensed aura, "You look… feel different."

Beside me, Daphne shrugged, "I get that a lot."

Satisfied but apprehensive, Clarisse took off her helmet, "So where are you off to?"

"Katie's cabin." I said.

"Hestia's cabin."

That piece of information seemed to shock her, "Really?"

We both nodded, before staring at Daphne"I don't believe you, but if you lying… well. The wrath of a goddess is something… you don't want to talk about."

I tried to not think about what she said, "So… Can you take us there?"

Clarisse nodded. "Follow me."

* * *

It is dream time again. And I'm no longer surprised. Perhaps, this is just my mind settling over me going crazy; after all, I'm lucid in this dream. Maybe this is how my mind copes with all the gods and monsters and demigod business things I've been thrust into lately. Either way it's dream time baby. Today's dream is about rainbow necktie dude and freaky iridescent lady. You know from the elevator thingy?

They were descending, or I could feel myself descending in the dream, sort of like descending in an elevator. And as usually, I find myself staring at them.

"Are you of _netjerian _origin? Or, in layman's term, Egyptian?" the man prodded, "It's foggy, but I remember from… long ago that this goddess named Isis came here looking for her husband's parts. Whatever she meant by that."

The lady shook her head, "Mortals refer to me as Iris. With an 'R' and I am under Lord Zeus."

He nodded, "Ah, a Greek. Funny how the world works; did you know of our treaty?"

"I am aware, Sir Heimdall."

"Are you all here?" the man asked suddenly. You know, if the guy would lose the rainbow necktie, he'd look pretty cool.

The woman with pixie-like wings shook her head, "I should, shouldn't I?"

The man nodded, "You could" he thought of a more precise word, "perish in our realm. And since your birth is not from our Great Tree, I'm afraid I do not know what would happen to you if it were to happen."

"Better safe that sorr-" she fell on the floor, groaning as we descended some more. Somehow I felt it too, the strong pull of gravity, sort of like trice the exerted force.

"You have to recall _all_ of your essences," the man urged, rushing to her aid. "Quickly, before you're incompleteness bounds you to our realm."

Groaning, the lady nodded. I saw through my eyes her concentration. And… I can't. It's… she's… glowing some more. But her hues… it's all… vivid and blurry at the same time. I-I-

* * *

I groaned.

And turned to lie on my stomach, only to drop down on the ground.

And groaned some more.

I heard a giggle, and my eyes focused of on a smiling Daphne. "You know, you're kind of adorable when you're asleep."

Hiding the blush on my face, I would've replied something snappy if I didn't feel the pain from falling down. Besides, no man would want to be called adorable. We're tough and strong, and some might even look handsome, but not adorable. _Never_ adorable.

"What time is it? I asked sitting upright.

"Breakfast time. Well," she paused and held a hand for me to hold onto, "Just after breakfast time."

That got my attention. Katie told me that breakfast time was a privilege to the early risers and that the camp would only cater breakfast food on a specific time period. Of course I had asked why, and her answer was something about demigods all loving to sleep in. "B-But… Why didn't anyone wake me?"

For the record, I'm usually an early riser thanks to the alarm of my trust cellphone, which, and I'll remind you, has been confiscated by Chiron. And Katie! She told me she would wake me up! Why that no good lit-_ack_!

Daphne had shoved a tray on my chest. I looked down, and smiled sheepishly. A tray full of breakfast food.

"You're welcome." Daphne said with a teasing tone.

Grabbing the tray from her, I studied my breakfast. "Are you vegan or something?" My brow rose as I took notice of the toast and oatmeal and some fruits. This was really nice and dandy (actually I was very flattered someone other than my mom took the time to fix a tray full of breakfast for me) but where was the meat? Like bacon. I _like_ bacon.

Daphne rolled her eyes, "You're _welcome_, Theo."

* * *

"So…" Daphne started, stealing an orange from my tray, "going home today…"

I decided to eat breakfast inside the cabin, probably because I haven't showered or anything and that it'll be more of a hassle if I were to eat at the dining area thingy then back here to prepare myself.

"I don't belong here," I said solemnly, "so I guess so." I took a bite from my oatmeal while Daphne peeled her orange.

"Do you know what time then?" she asked.

"As soon as possible." Hestia appeared on the cabin's entrance, her eye glowing even under direct sunlight. I kinda freaked me out a bit. "Do not mistake me, however; you are most welcome here – the goddess of home herself assures that – but it is your safety and sanity that Dionysus and I worry about."

I nodded, "This has all been an unexpected, if not great, experience for me. Thank you for your hospitality." Yes, I was going all out with the hospitality, and tease me for all I care, but it felt like the right thing to do. Besides, hearing her say those things about my safety and sanity actually made sense because somehow it felt like being here felt like I was detaching myself from my perceptions of reality. I mean, I didn't feel normal and _me_ anymore.

"So does that mean," Daphne paused, sparing me a glance.

Hestia nodded, "He's leaving after breakfast."

* * *

Its official, the first chance I get for a biblical kind of revenge, I'd do it to Travis Stoll.

Chiron told me that the best way to travel home was through a Pegasus. And hell yes, I'm down for something like riding a Pegasus. Of course at one point I wondered why I couldn't take that weird taxi thing. But Chiron said only Katie and her siblings were given that privilege. Besides, _dude_ Pegasus. 'Nuff said, right?

Anyway, Katie said she could take me home herself, except Travis Stoll just had to butt in. And God, I've never seen a feral smile such as his.

So I was behind Travis because he managed to convince Chiron that he be my escort. To make matters worse, Daphne had this crazy idea of tagging along. Did she forget that she was being targeted by helhests?

I didn't have time to ponder about these things because Travis was doing these unnecessary twists and turns with his Pegasus. Gripping Travis with my tightest bear hug, I screamed like hell as his Pegasus did a dip and plummeted to the ground.

"Quit it, Travis!" Katie reprimanded but Travis looked like he was having way too much fun in my expense. Yes, apparently what was supposed to be a one-man job turned into a job for an entourage. And entourage with me and Travis on one flying horse, and Daphne and Katie on another.

"I'm gonna hurl." I whimpered as I felt my arms turning into jelly.

Well that got Travis to mellow down, I'm sure he wasn't concerned about me though. "Kid, if you ever… _ever_ throw up on me, you'd wish the ride was the only thing you were worrying about."

"It's all empty threats, Theo." Katie was looking a little too smug as Daphne wrapped her arms around her from behind, "Throw up on him, for me please?"

Of course it was all fun and games until someone loses a-

"Rock!"

What? Not rock, _eye._

"What rock?" Katie asked.

"That rock!" Daphne pointed to something below, a hollow, small speck that seemed to be expanding. Wait, it wasn't expanding. It's-

Travis and I didn't have enough time to respond as our horse took a hit on his right wing.

Down Travis and I went. The poor Pegasus neighed in pain. My heart raced as I watched as the ground grew closer and closer. The thing that made it a bit bearable was the fact that our Pegasus was trying to soften our landing by flapping his wings.

However, I saw another rock being hurled towards us. Fortunately for Travis and I, it missed by a couple of meters.

At that point, I had no idea about what was happening because I was busily keeping my eyes closed and screaming my head off while plummeting to the ground. And yes, the Pegasus might've been slowing down our descent, but our landing still felt painful and rough. More so now that we crashed on a car.

My whole body was aching by the time I regained consciousness. My ears were ringing a bit, probably because the car's alarm went off directly on my ear.

Katie's Pegasus landed gracefully near us, and she hopped off effortlessly. "Are you okay?"

"Just barely," Travis hissed, trying to sit up. Our Pegasus made a pained sound.

"Blaire!" He crawled to the injured Pegasus.

I fixed my eyes on the for a little while, noticing the odd and painful-looking angle of the Pegasus wing.

Suddenly, I felt warm hands pressing on my grazed arms, "You okay?" It was Daphne holding three fingers in front of me, "Can you stand up? How many fingers am I holding up?"

I was still disoriented, probably on a concussion too because I ignored her and mumbled something incoherently. Before I knew it, Katie and Daphne were shielding me and Travis, who looked like he was having a psychotic break because of his injured Pegasus.

Katie raised her sword to them; two tall figures–scratch that, two humongous and imposing figures. The looked like supermodels. Yes, even I had to admit, albeit grudgingly, that they were _very_ good-looking. But they didn't look normal at all. I mean, they stood at least eight feet tall. Oh, and they were carrying car-sized boulders.

What they are? I have no idea.

One of them had blonde hair and deep brown eyes while the other had raven locks with bright blue eyes. The blonde one had the healthiest looking tanned skin I've ever seen, and the other one, though pale, looked like his skin was made from snow. Looking at them seemed so unfair; they even had jaws that looked like Michelangelo himself had chiseled them.

"You're no monster," Katie said, "Cyclopes? No. Not likely…"

"Young lady," The blonde one started, dropping his boulder like it was just a ball of paper, "I deeply apologize for hurting your winged familiar, but you see," he looked at Daphne then back to Katie, "You've got something–someone we want."

"Really?" Katie looked like she didn't believe what he was saying, "And who might that be?"

The raven haired one crossed his arm looked at Daphne grinning, "Her. That girl over there."

"Me?" Daphne asked disbelievingly.

The blonde shook his head, "Not you per se, the other you."

Daphne and I tensed.

Could they mean…

* * *

DISCLAIMER:** The following is a work of FICTION**

**The events, characters and names are fictional and/or derived from real mythology**

**and the Percy Jackson and Kane Chronicles series are owned by Rick Riordan**

**By writing this fanfic, no offense in intended to anyone**

* * *

A/N: yes, a cliffhanger. But it wasn't supposed to end that way. My original draft for this was very long, however, so I had to cut it.


	9. Chapter 9

Title: _**My Hard to Believe Mythological Experience**_

Chapter 9: the House of Life

* * *

To be an _**Einherjar**_

a hero must die a most _noble_ and selfless death.

A _**valkyrie**_ chooses her _**einherjar**_

but what happens when her current incarnation is _incomplete_?

* * *

"Yes," The giant blond said, "Or should I say, her Lady Valk–"

"_Enough_!"

Daphne's eyes were no longer green, replaced by a seething gaze of purple

It's her. Definitely her. No mistaking it. This was just like the time when–

The brunet dude smiled in a feral, I-am-so-dominating-you kind of way – and might I just add, it looked like a smile magazines would kill to print on their cover – and said, "That tongue is a sharp as ever, Halberd. Then again, that is what we have always admired about you."

Daphne's eyes turned into slits, "You have no business in this realm, begone!" Yup, _definitely_ not Daphne. She would never use words like 'realm' or 'begone' in her sentences.

"What's wrong with Daphne?" I felt Katie's presence beside me. In the corner of my eye, Travis appeared too preoccupied with his injured Pegasus to notice the things happening around him. And to some extent, I felt bad for him. Because, you know, his familiar (is that the proper term for that?)

I looked back at Daphne, and the two hulking figures before us, "She's…" I knew in my heart at that point that I had to come clean, but knowing Daphne, I wasn't one to tell other people's well-kept secrets. That much, I owe it to her. "She's got issues."

Truthful, but vague.

"Issues?"

I sighed. "Split personality issues." It was a lie, but even I don't know what the deal with her is.

"–doesn't matter." Blond man said, "All capable bodies are summoned by his lordship, as soon as possible."

Daphne looked even more defiant, purple eyes full of steely hate, "Including the exiled?"

The brunet nodded, "Including the exiled. Halberd, the Cycle has been broken."

If Daphne was surprised, she had a very mellow way of showing it, "Honestly, I am more surprised it did not happen sooner. Had he listened to me at my urging in the past cycles then you people would not be in such a mess." She shrugged, "But that is to say, I am not_ that_ surprised, given the old coot's head being stuck up his, how do mortals call it? As–"

Both of them growled. The blond's eyes were slits when he said, "You will not refer our great lord like that."

Daphne took a deep breathe, "Do I even have a choice?"

The one with darker hair shook his head no, "I am afraid not. But if it is any consolation, Ull, Eir and everyone else misses you." He reached out to her and immediately, Daphne was by his arm.

"Wait!" the two hulking figured looked at me.

"Theo, what're you doing?" Katie hissed from beside me.

"You can't take her!" I have no idea what I was saying, much less why I was saying it.

"And just why not, mortal?" The brunet was amused. In that 'what-is-this-puny-thing-doing?' vibe people like him would usually display.

"She's… she is," I have no clue as to what I should say at that point. Thinking about it now, I shouldn't be trying to convince them anything. It was _Daphne_ who I had to convince.

"You can't go with them." I had turned to Daphne, pleading for her to reconsider, "What if it's a trap? What if they're with the helhests?"

"Helhests?" The blond man asked.

"What the heck is going on?" Katie now stood in front of me, sword pointed at the two men.

The Daphne's captor's eyes looked steeled, "Hel has been on your trail." She wiggled away from his grip, "Yes, which means I am more of a liability that of any help."

"And you know what that means right?" The blond man asked as his posture turned into a fighting stance.

"More than ever," Daphne nodded, slowing walking to towards us, never breaking eye contact with the two of them. Unclasping her bracelet, it shimmered quickly before turning into her rapier.

The two giant men lunged forward, their enormous fists aiming for Daphne. There was absolutely no way she could take them down, but her speed proved to be beneficial against their big sizes.

"We have to help them." I said, but how do I do that without looking like a total doofus? Or without dragging her down?

Katie let out a frustrated sigh before concentrating. Seconds later, I noticed that the concrete was starting to for vines, entangling the one with blonde hair.

The man merely laughed, "You think flora would ensnare me?" He ripped them like they were made from paper, "I am a god!"

Weird thing is; they kept attacking Daphne, only focused on her, while they shrugged us like we were nothing. In fact, we didn't even seem like mere nuisances to them; me, Katie and Travis–wait, where is he?

There was a yell and I saw Travis charging to the blond one.

"I don't even recognize any of you gods, if you_ are_ gods." There was a wide sword in his hand that he had swung to the towering enemy. Just where do they get these weapons? Daphne's got one. With her bracelet, Katie does too with her hairclip, and now Travis? Travis and his whatever sword-changing object thing? Is this, like, a requirement for them to have? Yes, I _am_ jealous about it.

"This is not of your concern, Halfling." The guy who Travis had attacked said, effortlessly dodging his blow. He did a cool-looking turn then just as he was about to face Travis, he elbowed him in the face, send the poor man flying and landing a few feet from us. "Travis!" Katie rushed to his aid, and checked if he was fine.

The brunet looked at his elbow, and I noticed that it was shaking a bit. "Well, well, well. I never thought I would see the day I would elbow someone from another realm." He seemed to have gotten even more excited, and he smiled that annoying smile of his, because no guy should have a smile that perfect, trust me, and this is coming from someone who never really judged nor had given any care about other people's appearances.

"Whatsit brother?" the one with blonde hair asked, looking at his brother, then to Travis, then Katie. "From those talky Greeks?" He grinned equally as annoying as his brother.

"We should handle them with care." His companion felt himself grinning some more, "Lest we incur the wrath of their godly parents."

They nodded to each other, "It has been a while, my friend." The brunet materialized a double-edged axe and waved it like it was made from feathers. "Tis been a long time since a challenge had befallen us."

Blondie chucled, "That is true," he did something with his hand and a huge sword materialized out of nowhere. They raised their weapons in the air, something similar in the way that Daphne had done the first time we were attacked by helhests, and shouted, "In the name of lord Odin, her lady Valkyrie Halberd shall perish before our very blades."

* * *

We were of no match against them of course. Katie and Travis – despite looking really tough, capable and battle-hardened individuals – were easily overpowered. The towering duo had them on the floor in less than five minutes. Katie had her sword knocked off from her hand as soon as she had taken her first slash. She got pinned on the ground, the blond's huge sword pointed at her throat. As this was happening, the brunet had tackled Travis, doing some sort of sleeper hold – he was unconscious seconds later. And Daphne? She had been sent a couple of feet a couple away because she had parried a particularly strong blow.

"Well," the one who held the semiconscious Travis said, laying him down on the floor, "where were we?"

Based on instinct – and yes, I was itching to act on that instinct – I would've made a run for it. Except my current situation warranted for a different approach.

"Stop!" I was immediately by Daphne's side, using myself as a makeshift shield.

That was all that happened before these red ribbons appeared from thin air and started to wrap around the brunet one.

"What… what is this?" he wriggled, but he was being restrained so fast, it looked like he was being mummified on the spot.

"Brother!"

With them distracted (wow, I am one lucky guy) I forced Daphne up, dragged her by the arm towards Travis and Katie, and basically took the reins of the getaway scenario. "C'mon," I hissed, slinging Travis' arm around my neck, "Let's go." Katie followed my lead and slung Travis' other arm over her neck. From the corner of my eye, Travis' Pegasus followed us, despite his having wings bent in the weirdest, most disturbing angle I have ever seen. It was really a good thing only his wing was hurt, because if it's legs were hurt I–

Quit thinking too much, Theo. Get a hold of yourself.

Well, I have no idea where we were but I had guessed that we were in a place with not a lot of people. Actually, no people at all. An abandoned pier perhaps?

"Over here," there was this voice that tickled my ears. I looked to my right, and sure as hell, saw a girl who motioned for us to come closer. I looked at my companions, sending that silent question to them.

Daphne, green-eyed Daphne, shrugged. "It's her or them." She pointed to the two tall figures that were still occupied by those ribbon things. Katie and Travis didn't seem to be in an argumentative mood either.

Sighing, I nodded and went closer to the girl. Up-close, I observed that this girl had that blonde cheerleader thing going on. Well, the genuinely nice ones for that matter. She was also very pretty. In fact, she would've looked normal if she wasn't holding that curved blade of hers. Though it looked like a big question mark, if you asked me.

"A khopesh?"

I looked at Daphne, "A what?"

"A khopesh, the _sappara_–the sickle sword."

I don't know how and why she knew that, but given the amount and extent of surprises I've been through this couple of days, I'm no longer stressing about it.

"Follow me, I'm–"She must've seen the Pegasus because she then looked really surprised. And I can't blame her; even with the injured wing, it was still a magnificent sight.

She led us to this abandoned warehouse, the one that's surrounded by all this fog. I started to get cold feet, "I don't know about this." Travis was feeling quite better now, and had disentangled himself from us. The girl we were following was getting harder and harder to see with all the fog, "Maybe this isn't such a good idea."

"We've got no other choice." Katie said solemnly.

"Theo, look." Daphne pointed at something above us. It was right above the warehouse. At first I didn't see it, but by squinting my eyes and focusing, I was able to see a very tall and very big mansion. Actually it looked like a building above a building. It did not even look architecturally sound, much less possible for something of that shape to stand upright without collapsing or falling over. Though there may be something about the weird symbols surrounding the mansion that tells me that it isn't just for aesthetics.

"That's very clever though," I heard Katie say as she sheathed – or clipped? The terminology escapes me again – her weapon back into her hair.

Travis nodded, "Using the Mist like that." He gave out a low whistle whilst tending for his injured Pegasus.

As we were going up the steps leading to the rooftop of the warehouse, I felt Daphne walk towards me, "I'm sorry."

"What for?"

"You're supposed to be half-way home now. It's because of…_ me_… that you're in this mess."

I sensed the sincerity in her voice, "Don't worry about it."

"B-but, I almost got you killed. _Again_. You–we can't keep running and expecting that all of us would make it out in one piece, Theodore." She whispered softly, her sword ever ready in her hand, "So far, we've been extremely lucky. But what if worse comes to worst? I don't want you to be in a position that would jeopardize you're safety." I notice her face getting a few shades… deeper? "I don't like seeing you get hurt."

I don't know what to say, but I do know that it's not her fault. I mean, not exactly her fault. Sure she was being chased by a pair of tall supermodel-like enemies and freaky three-legged zombie horses, and unless she's the bad guy here (which I have a feeling that she is not) I'm not going to think of my whole predicament as her fault.

"I won't get hurt." Stupid, stupid, stupid. "I mean, er… if it's any comfort to you, I think this whole circumstance of us getting here is a mere detour. You know, like sightseeing and stuff. Don't sweat it." I smiled at her.

"But–"

"I guess we're here," Katie said as we reached this door that lead inside the mansion. The girl from earlier was there, standing in front of the door, her curved sword now gone from her grasp. The door behind her opened, and the girl introduced us to a middle-aged guy named Amos Kane. A guy who looks like a pretty successful Jamaican-like jazz musician, with his cool-looking greying dreadlocks and outfit (some slacks thing, some weird looking loafers and a simple embroidered cotton shirt-tunic thing). And one Amos Kane raised a brow as he observed me and my friends.

Daphne, of all people had taken the liberty of saying the first sentence. "I am Daphne Smith," her tone was collected and formal, "war goddess reincarnate. I request sanctuary for myself, three companions and a familiar in the House of Life."

What. The. Hell.

For a moment, everyone was silent. Amos Kane was particularly amused. Amused but surprised. He was silent for a moment too until, "I grant thee sanctuary. May our humble House be of use to you and your companions."

Out of nowhere, a baboon wearing a Lakers jersey climbed up and settled on Amos' right shoulder. Carrying an unopened bag of Cheetos, he looked at us, titled his head, then made some shrill screech. Amos grinned at us, "Well, what're you waiting for? Come in."

* * *

So," Amos started, "We have a godling, a mortal, a Pegasus, and two Greco-Roman demigods."

"Greco-Roman? What do you–" Katie didn't finish her sentence because the older man walked to the injured Pegasus and gave it a light pat on his head.

"He needs attention," he looked at the young girl from earlier and said, "Jaz, would you mind taking him to the infirmary?" he gave a fatherly smile at her, "Brushed up on animal healing yet?"

The young girl beamed, "You think I'm ready?"

Amos nodded, making Jaz squeal in delight. Like a hyper ventilating cheerleader – a pretty cheerleader of course. She then looked at the horse, and I kind of got the idea that they shared this connection between them. Like they understood each other. "Come with me okay?" she said, and the horse nodded and tottered away from us. But not before Travis said something about 'never letting his baby out of his sight.'

We were led into this gigantic. And I mean _gigantic_ room. The walls were decorated by a weird collection of musical instruments, weaponry and Egyptian art. The walls and stone pillars supporting the room were also painted with graffiti similar to those outside. But what really took the cake in my opinion was the huge plasma-screen television hanging on top of the fireplace's mantel. And you have to understand, me coming from an agricultural community, seeing TVs of these sizes are a rarity to me.

I took a seat on one of the nearby couches there and took notice of the giant snake skin rug on the ground and the gigantic Thoth statue in the middle of the room. Daphne and Katie followed suit.

"So would someone care to explain what is going on here?"

We looked at Daphne, who sat beside me. She took a quick peak at me before exhaling deeply, "Where do I even begin?"

"I'd much prefer the beginning, young lady." Amos flashed us an easy smile. He's got that same friendly, authority figure vibe that Chiron possessed and I easily lost my inhibitions.

"Mr. Kane, sir," Daphne looked apprehensive, "What do you know of the Sovereign's Rite?"

The word made Amos quirky a brow. "That's powerful ritual magic. I am vague with the details myself, but I am sure it is one of the most complex magicks ever known. Even gods themselves have great difficulty in casting it. Why?"

Daphne blinked, and just like that her eyes were purple again, "I or should I say, the 'we' inside 'me' are the result of a miscarried ritual."

"Miscarried?" Amos asked politely, leaning forward.

This was all new news to me, and I tried soaking up every word of it.

"The Rite of the Sovereign is a powerful ritual magic yes?" she asked. Amos nodded and the blonde continued, "A ritual magic that shackles a divine entity into mortal flesh, her memories sealed and stored, powers bound and blocked–"

"–until mortal peril smites the land, and the all-knowing calls forth all his subjects. " Amos finished. "That's a textbook description. The last time I have seen –nor heard an account, for that matter– wherein there even _was _a confirmed successful ritual, much less a faulty one, was close to a millennia ago. But for you to have undergone one, you must be." He stopped looked at Daphne in a funny look.

"I'm confused." I said while Katie nodded in agreement.

"Theodore, Daphne is the reincarnated form of a divine traitor." Amos told me.

"Should have been." Daphne corrected. "Something happened during the ritual. I have no inkling as to what it was but as you see, the result of that–ahem–reprogramming ritual ended with me and Daphne sharing one body."

It took me a couple of seconds to digest what she had said. Frankly, though, I was more surprised about purple-eyed Daphne knowing what the word 'reprogramming' meant. I mean, that word didn't sound old English and stuff, but I'm getting sidetracked now.

"Instead of a single essence–or in simpler terms, a single soul inside a mortal body, two personalities inhabit it." Amos crossed his arms, "I am curious however, who are you really? Or who were you before the ritual?"

Daphne sat straighter, her eyes looking steelier than before. But the she sighed in defeat, "I am or used to be a mid-rank goddess of the Aesir." That comment earned the look of surprise from Amos.

"Aesir?" Katie asked.

"From Norse mythology Katie," I told her.

Katie was shocked, I would've have been too, but somewhere between this crazy journey, maybe I have come to accept that fact. That's she was _not_ weird and untruthful; just someone so unique that it was so hard to believe it. "You mean like, Odin and Thor and stuff? But that's–"

"Any more possible than you being the daughter of Demeter." I snappily replied. I didn't like what she was implying.

"That's enough Theodore." Daphne looked at me then back to Amos, "Going back to my story, yes, I was a goddess, the Valkyrie named Skeggiold in fact."

"For someone of your kind, your name escapes me." Amos told her.

Daphne looked sad, "And with good reason. Had I not been sentenced to treason during a previous cycle, and banished from Asgard, you would have seen more traces of me. Alas, only faint traces of me survive today."

Amos nodded knowingly, "I am even _more_ surprised you hadn't vanished like a properly forgotten god yet."

I scratched my head, "Cycles? Banished? Wha–?"

Katie frowned but nodded in agreement, "I agree, the more you tell us, the more confusing it gets."

Amos stood up from his seat and walked to a nearby bookshelf. Well, scrollshelf seeing as it contained had rolled scrolls instead of books. They're really selling the ancient Egyptian theme here. "Well, why don't we go back to basics?" He tossed the scroll to Katie. I leaned towards her, and peaked over her shoulder as she opened the scroll.

"Unlike my Kemetic origins and your Greco-Romanian pantheon, Daphne presents a most unusual circumstance of divine structure and functions." In the picture, I could see pictures, and I couldn't really decipher the words seeing as the letters and stuff looked very _not_ English. But Katie seemed to read it fine, so maybe it's written in her Greek. "You see, hers run in cycles, a never-ending cycle. You've got your creation, or should I say rebirth since it is a cycle, the events before Ragnarok, Ragnarok, then post Ragnarok or the rebirth stage. That means, for every cycle that happens, Daphne here, or Skeggiold, will die and be reborn over and over so as the cycle dictates it."

It took me a few moments to digest all of those tidbits. Amos chuckled, "Let's put it this way; I presume you still have an Oracle in your camp, right?" Katie nodded, "Well, they also have their version except unlike yours who give prophecies for your brethren to fulfill; their oracle had already predicted the end of the world."

"It wasn't always a cycle." Daphne whispered.

Amos looked at her, "I'm sorry."

"It wasn't always like that." She repeated, "Ragnarok used to be a hidden secret only the tongues of gods could utter. But things happened, and mortals got word of it." Daphne looked forlorn, "And when the mortal mind got that piece of information inside their head, they… I do not know the proper word, but you could say the romanticized it. And you know what happens when they romanticize it." Amos nodded, "It changes and morphs. Derailing what it original was into something the mortals knew. After all, gods are not any less dependent on the people who worship them."

"I can still remember my first cycle." Daphne laughed grimly.

"You can still remember how you died?" I asked softly. I could never really imagine that, and I would never want to be in that position. Remembering how you die. That's just scary, if you imagine.

We were silent for a couple until we heard a screech from the doorway. The baboon from earlier came into the room and ran to Amos. It looked like the baboon was having a conversation with him. Then baboon hopped off of him and ran out of the room.

Amos stood up, "Well, why don't we continue this after lunch?"

"Lunch?" The word made my stomach grumble. And forget the fact that I was supposed to be halfway home by now, how do I even get to go home now?

* * *

There was someone yelling when Amos was guiding us to the dining area.

"Sadie, what I'm trying to say is that, you should consider the consequences of your actions." Said a male voice. I saw them come out of a corner a few feet from us. There were four of them, and two which were quarrelling with each other.

"Relax, Carter. Everything went along fine. Smashing even. No need to get your knickers in a twist." Replied a blonde girl with red highlights. She seemed unfazed by this dark-skinned guy who was glaring daggers at her. With that said, however, I just realized that the blonde girl, Sadie – a girl who screamed 'rebel' with the way she projects herself with her posture and clothing – was talking with an English accent. I like that: feisty and English. First time seeing and hearing one in person too.

The young man named Carter continued his glares at her, "Well, what if it didn't go as well as you hoped? What if your spell backfired and–er" he finally noticed our group, "Hi." He finished lamely.

Sadie beamed as she saw us, "Are they?"

Amos shook his head, "Guests, I'm afraid."

Carter crossed his arms, "You mean total strangers?"

The older man raised a brow, "Well, seeing as they did ask for sanctuary, guests would be the politically correct term, Carter." This made the younger male frown. "This group even _knew_ our way of asking for sanctuary. The House of Life isn't a snobby country club, Carter. It is in our tradition to be hospitable to all _kinds_ of people." That made Carter shut up.

Amos exhaled, "Perhaps, we should have this conversation in a more appropriate environment." With a glance towards us, he said, "So if you'll excuse us."

* * *

DISCLAIMER:** The following is a work of FICTION**

**The events, characters and names are fictional and/or derived from real mythology**

**and the Percy Jackson and Kane Chronicles series are owned by Rick Riordan**

**By writing this fanfic, no offense in intended to anyone**

* * *

A/N: so we now have a four-person party; Daphne, Theo, Katie and Travis. They'll be joined by a kemetic magician, but the question is who? Sorry for the late update. I'll try to update as soon as possible, promise. :D hope you like it!


	10. Chapter 10

Title: _**My Hard to Believe Mythological Experience**_

Chapter 10: I really get to go home this time

* * *

To be an _**Einherjar**_

a hero must die a most _noble_ and selfless death.

A _**valkyrie**_ chooses her _**einherjar**_

but what happens when her current incarnation is _incomplete_?

* * *

I situated myself beside the young girl named Cleo and Katie. We sat in this big and round dining table right beside a huge window that had the best view of New York, mostly because it had the unobstructed view of the Statue of Liberty. Cleo, she tells me, is a newly recruited member of Carter and Sadie's group of young trainee magicians, being the third one right after Walt and Jaz. She's from Rio de Janeiro.

It also came as a surprise to me that Egyptian magicians could be trained as early as her age. Sometimes younger even. So, forget the fact that the House of Life was a global secret society, young children being trained to fight gods–more important.

"This is the first time I've spoken to someone with your accent." Cleo, with her thick Cariocan accent, told me politely. Admittedly, it was also my first time speaking to someone with her accent. And to be honest, I never really thought of myself as someone with an accent. I've lived my whole life in my hometown and today just made me realize that not all people speak the same way as I, Katie and Daphne do – you know, the southern accent. I also realized how closed-off my hometown is to the diversity of the international community. Sure, my mother would get clients with different backgrounds and cultures and stuff, but I was never really that exposed to them because my mother was very adamant about me being in the same room with her patients.

When Cleo asked about me and my life back home, I told her everything, every boring detail about me. Which she found surprisingly interesting. "So you lived in an agricultural community in the countryside?"

I nodded, "You're a smart girl, aren't you?" It was hard resisting the urge of ruffling her hair because she was just so adorable. Especially with her Cariocan accent. And honestly, for someone who looks like a nine-year old she can hold a really good conversation.

"But to tell you the truth, this is kind of a weird day for me." She admitted. The other guy, a young man named Walt Stone, beside her ruffled her hair, "Well, Cleo, here's it's pretty much a normal occurrence."

I chatted with Cleo for a couple of minutes before Jaz and Travis entered the dining area. They seemed to be getting along fine, like they bonded over treating the Pegasus. Or they did more than just that? I wonder what Katie would think?

I turned to the daughter of Demeter and surely, she didn't seem to mind, pretty nonchalant about it too. I almost chuckled to myself think how sucky Travis' situation is for liking a girl who loathes him. The one who _did_ get jealous was Walt.

"Have fun talking, Jaz?" A brow was raised his when he asked this.

Jaz nodded, apparently not noticing his ire, and took the unoccupied seat between me and him, "Well, Travis was telling me this one time when his Pegasus–"

"Pegasus?" Walt and Cleo asked loudly.

Jaz nodded, "Yep, a Pegasus. In the infirmary."

Cleo looked at me with a face that told me that she was piecing the pieces together and before she could say another word, I nodded, "Yep, a Pegasus."

Jaz laughed, "You can visit her later, Cleo. You have to eat lunch first."

"So you guys ARE for real!" the youngest bounced on her seat, acting like the kid that she is. Somehow, that's what it took for Cleo to start shoving all of the food in her plate into her mouth.

"So, Theodore, was it?" Jaz asked conversationally, carefully piling her plate with a healthy array of fruits and vegetables.

"You can call me Theo," I however, chose to pile my plate with my favorite comfort food–meat.

"Theo," she smiled, "Mind telling me how you guys ended up on the wrong side of the river?"

"River? What do you mean?"

She then went on about how the Greeks and the Egyptians kept to themselves by staying on the left and right sides of the river, with the Greeks on Brooklyn and Egyptians on Manhattan.

"Well, I really don't know…" I said after Jaz finished, "I mean, Katie, Travis and Daphne just wanted to accompany me back home, until we got attacked earlier."

Jaz nodded perceptively, "I know, I saw it all; did you know them?"

I shook my head, "Not really. They just came out of nowhere."

We heard Cleo choke on her food, and I instinctively rubber the child's back, "Careful, Cleo. The Pegasus won't leave. Take your time."

"Sowwy," She said, her mouth still full of food.

Jaz laughed. Then she looked at me with a serious look, "But on to more pressing matters."

I gulped. What if she starts drilling me with questions that I can't answer? What if it were questions about the monsters? Or what if–

"What's going on between Travis and Katie."

I looked at her, and Jaz must've thought it was funny because she laughed, "Blaire tells me about this unresolved sexual tension between them." She pointed to their direction, and sure as hell, they were, again, bickering.

Wait, who's Blaire? The Pegasus?

"You can talk to a Pegasus?"

Walt was on his second helping, "More on knowing what their intent and feelings are. And these feelings include their basic sense regarding things and their opinions and stuff."

I nodded, "Cool." I looked at them, "I've only known them for a little while, but as you can see, Travis likes her, just expressing it wrong, while Katie loathes him because of how he expresses his feelings for her."

Jaz giggled, "really?"

"Yeah, body language and all that."

"Done!" Cleo announced before pushing her chair back and hopping of her seat. It was so hard to not cuddle her; she's just the cutest thing. I looked over at Daphne and noticed that she barely touched her food.

"Not hungry?" I leaned towards her.

She almost jumped from her seat with my sudden question, "Oh! Well, um… I guess I don't have the appetite."

"Can I ask why?"

She sighed, "It's–"

"None of my business, sorry." It kind of sucks that she still doesn't trust me, but then again, she just me the other day.

Out of the corner of my eyesight, I saw Cleo almost at the exit. "Hey, Cleo!" I yelled. I grabbed my sandwich before standing up, "I want to go see the Pegasus too." I looked at Jaz and Walt, "Please?"

Walt just shrugged while Jaz ushered me away, clearly enjoying the view that is the bickering Katie and Travis.

"I'm coming too," Daphne placed down her fork.

I looked at her then her plate, "But you barely touched your food. You should eat." Daphne rolled her eyes, grabbing her plate. She then grabbed two slices of bread and wedged her food in it. "There, I'll eat on the way there. Happy?"

* * *

"So Cleo," I was in-between her and Daphne, "Since when did you start doing… all this?"

"Tomorrow will mark my second week here."

I nodded, and started asking about her life back in Rio de Janiero.

"So you were normal before?"

"Yes." She hid her eyes behind her bangs, but I saw that she kinda found my quip funny, "Actually, I was supposed to be a sixth grader, but didn't want to be separated from my friends." Which proves my point that Cleo _is_ an exceptionally scholarly individual.

"Do they know what you're doing here? I mean you _are_ separated from your friends and family."

Cleo nodded, "No and Yes. My friends only know that I'll be abroad for a while, my family on the other hand had kemetic roots from a distant ancestor, and apparently I am the first one in decades to exhibit potential erm… magical prowess so they sent me here. And besides the Kane family is a well-respected name. So they didn't hesitate at all sending me here."

"I thought anyone can be a magician."

Daphne turned to me and said, "Yes, they can, but mortal flesh – no matter how strong their wills are – are too fragile and too weak to survive the strains of commanding the elements and spell casting." It was only then that I noticed that her eyes were purple again.

Cleo agreed solemnly, "Usually, it takes an exceptionally powerful person to become a magician and those instances are very rare now. That is why they have to start young; if it's too trying then they stop learning and still have the rest of their lives to look forwards to. If they start too old, and overexert themselves, they would burn their very life force and just…"

She exhaled, "Anyway, now most of the Egyptian magicians are predecessors of powerful magicians and pharaohs. Some are even said to be of godly heritage; sons and daughters of demigods and gods. Of kemetic and unknown origins."

"Well, Katie is the daughter of Demeter, goddess of harvest while Travis is the son of Hermes. So I guess that isn't _that_ surprising."

Cleo looked at me like I grew two heads. She was about to ask when we stopped in front of the infirmary door. She immediately forgot about what she was about to say and pushed it open. When the door was opened, I swear, her face just _glowed_. And I can't blame her, the Pegasus was indeed a sight for sore eyes, even now as the Pegasus was resting on the ground, his injured wing bandage and totally resting.

"It's beautiful." Cleo whispered taking a few steps forward. The horse immediately sensed her presence and opened her eyes, tensing visibly.

"It's okay," Cleo raised her hands in the air, slowly she took her steps carefully.

"Easy, girl, easy."

The horse looked like she realized that Cleo had no harmful intent and relaxed. She then pointed her nose at a nearby basket full of fruits.

"You want the apple?" the horse just stared, "Oh, you mean the pear!"

So this is what Walt me with having an understanding in animals.

"Kemetic magicians can speak to different kinds of animals and insects." Daphne stated.

Cleo shook her head, "Not talk, _feel_…."

I dumbly watch how Cleo pet Travis' Pegasus for a while. When I was sure that she was far enough from me and Daphne that's when I decided to ask what was bothering her. Assertively this time; I wasn't taking vague answers too.

"What's wrong?"

"What're you talking about?" her eyes were back to its greenish hue.

"You know… you're erratic behavior, these things about kemetic magicians, and the sappara. I know I don't have the right to ask, but I'm… I'm worried." So much for assertive.

Her green eyes looked at mine. Perhaps I looked stupid or silly because she laughed. Congratulations, I am now the dumbest buffon the world has ever known.

"I'm serious." I tried glaring at her but with her laughing like that? Well, it just melted and I ended up laughing with her.

"Everything okay?" Cleo yelled from afar. She was feeding another pear to the horse.

Daphne nodded, "Yes Cleo, everything is fine." She looked at me next, serious, "Everything is _fine._ With me."

Frustrated with her elusiveness – I didn't believe a word she said – I merely clamped my mouth shut.

* * *

When we returned back to where everyone was, Amos was having a serious conversation with Katie, Travis, Carter and Sadie.

The eldest noticed out entrance and beamed, "Finally, you've shown your faces. I was wondering if you got lost here."

Cleo smiled, "We visited the Pegasus in the infirmary."

Sadie squealed while Carter looked shocked, then somehow ended up being relieved.

"A Pegasus?" Sadie stood up.

"So I wasn't going crazy." Carter wiped a sweat from his brow.

"I don't know about you Carter, but I _am_ seeing that Pegasus." And the Sadie ran out of the room, slamming the door shut as she left.

Carter sighed, "I apologize for my sisters' actions," wait, they're siblings? "and for my rudeness earlier." He then motioned us to the two unoccupied seats. Cleo bade farewell, sensing that she shouldn't be here. I took my seat beside Daphne under the watchful eye of Carter Kane, "Theo, I understand that you were on your way home before you were… er… sidetracked."

I nodded.

"Well, we were discussing what to do next, and well…" He sounded so formal and the way he acted was in total opposition of his youthful appearance. If I was blind, I would've thought a mature man was talking to me. "How would you like to be teleported back home?"

I was flabbergasted. Instantly? Really? All of these things rushed up on my mind, but my mouth uttered something completely different, "Will it hurt?" Everyone just looked at me like I was crazy, "I mean, is that possible?" I tried to hide the unbridled hope and happiness in my tone, but there's no denying that I was utterly ecstatic.

"Yes," Carter said with a smile, "We can teleport you, it'll also take a snap second for you to get there," the young man then started to look sheepish, "As for your first question, well… I guess it depends on the person."

"So, Theodore," Amos looked at me beaming, "what do you say?"

I didn't even need to think about it, "Well, if it's instantaneous, then I'm down with it." I felt someone grab my hand from underneath the table. I looked and it was Daphne's green and melancholic eyes that greeted me.

"Well then," The older Kane clapped his hands, "I'll go make the preparations, it'll take a while though."

Gently, I returned the pressure Daphne had on my hand, I don't know why but it felt… right.

* * *

We had some time to ourselves before Amos could send me back. He told me that the ambient magic supposedly needed to teleport me back was strongest during or around noon. I have no clue why it's like that, but by now, I really don't care. Did that sound a bit antsy? Sorry. I'm just really… I really want to go home.

Since it was only past 10 in the morning, we had a few more hours to kill, and the first thing that came to my mind is the much desired and much needed phone call to my mom. Who I felt like was on the verge of a nervous breakdown by now. Chiron had given back my phone to me just as I was about to leave, with specific instructions to not use it until we were far enough from the camp's barrier. Personally, I blame Travis' reckless horseback riding with his Pegasus, but I guess with the unexpected attack earlier, and all that's happened, the phone call home escaped from my mind.

Luckily, Amos gave me the okay, so I excused myself, left the room and happily pressed the first number on speed dial.

"_Hello?"_

"Hey mom…" I half-expected to hear her explode over the phone for disappearing like that, with the school getting trashed and all but lo and behold…

"_Hi honey, how's camp? The head there told me you got a little homesick_." Maybe Chiron really did handle it.

"Oh, well, I'm fine now. And yes, I got a little homesick." I didn't want to confuse her, now that she doesn't sound anything what I'd expected her to sound right now. I did mean the homesick part, however. Also, I didn't realize that I had started crying until I felt my tears running down my cheeks. Why I was crying, I don't know. But hearing my mom's voice made me release all of the bottled up emotions and feelings that I had kept to myself. What? When you're on the run for your lives, no one, and I mean no one, would have the time and luxury to break down and cry.

"_Is something the matter honey?_" her voice was soft and soothing.

"No, just... I missed you."

"_Well, I'll see you by dinner time, and I'll make your favorite dish; my shepherd's pie._"

The fact she was told that I was in a camp or how she knew that I was coming home today (when Camp Half-Blood prohibited phones and cell phones) didn't register to me, even the comforting fact that she was making my best comfort food. All I cared about was the knowledge that I can be home now by lunch time.

"I'll be looking forward to it." The tears were still there but I wasn't sobbing.

"_Bye, I love you_."

"Love you too."

I hang up on her, and tried to compose myself. I didn't want to go back to everyone looking like a runny, sobbing and snotty mess.

"Everything okay?" I looked back and saw a hand holding a handkerchief.

I wiped my tear-streaked face with my hands, "I'm fine." I then thanked her but refused her handkerchief.

"You know–" Daphne had a small smile on.

"I'm fine." I smiled tightly at her, before turning back.

The feeling that she was looking at me with sad or pitiful eyes, I didn't mind it all. Well just a little bit. No more manly pride for me. But I really needed to get my composure back so I stood there for a couple of minutes. I didn't realize that Daphne stayed there with me the whole time until I felt her weight rest on my back. She was leaning her back on mine.

"Better now?" she asked with a hint of softness.

I took a deep breath, trying to muster up all the calmness left in me, "Yes."

* * *

We spent our time hanging around with the Egyptian magicians, with Katie doing an exhibition of her plant powers while Travis told them about Camp Half-Blood. Walt showed us some of his amulets, it's apparently his thing, while Cleo tells me that she has yet to know what - how did she say it? - path of the gods she's supposed to take. Sadie and Carter though were in a league entirely on their own. Because even if they didn't do any magic stuff, I got a feeling that individually, they were much more adept that Walt, Jaz and Cleo combined. We also got a tour of the place. Did you know that there's a gigantic albino alligator here? He's name is Philip of Macedonia, I don't know if he's really from Macedonia, but dude, it's an albino alligator, a thing even _I_ have never seen. It was all quite fun actually. This was also the most normal thing we've done in this entire experience. Definitely it's a good thing too; I'd take this over running away from helhests and perfect supermodel giants any day. Everything was smooth sailing until Amos came in news of a little bump off the road. Actually it was two bumps.

The first was in the form of a person. Accompanying Amos was a…

"Bast…" Daphne looked surprised, her eyes immediately turning purple.

There's this lady, only she looked… erm catlike, especially her eyes. She looked at us, and immediately saw red. Particularly at Daphne because the hiss that came from Bast's mouth was directed to her.

"Barbarian!" she screeched, getting into a fighting stance.

I looked back and for between Daphne and Bast, not knowing what to do.

"What's going on?" Sadie decided to voice everyone's question.

Bast didn't stop her glaring, "You brought a Barbarian in the House of Life? Really Amos? Really?" I didn't understand what she said next but apparently, all the Egyptians started to blush. Was this woman cursing?

"Guests, Bast." Amos, the most composed out of all the magicians, clarified. "Now treat them like one."

The cat woman didn't look pleased but she did loosen up. "Don't think this means I forgive you for what's you've done."

Daphne curtsied coolly, "Believe me when I say this," she pointed at me, "I am merely here out of inconvenience."

The two women glared at each other until Sadie stepped between them, "While I am curious about how you two met, Amos was just telling us how to send Theodore back."

The man nodded, "The bad news is that we can't send you directly in your hometown."

I gulped, "and the good news?"

"We _can_ send you to a neighboring town; to the 87th Nome."

"We have a Nome that far in the countryside?" Carter asked in disbelief.

"We live in a big country Carter," shrugged Amos. "Do they know I'm gonna," I still felt uncomfortable saying it, "ehem… teleport there?"

"Of course." Amos said. He told me that the address of where I was to be sent, and I felt relieved; I'd been there before. In fact, it's only a thirty minute bus ride from the 87th Nome to my hometown.

"Let's do this then." I said. Part of me was happy that I get to go back home, but there was also a small part of me that was sad. I might never see my new friends ever again.

* * *

"Is this safe?" I stared at the swirling sand whirlpool that had emerged from the ground after Amos did his magic chanting thing. As my fastest transportation, this intimidated me a lot.

Carter nodded, "Of course it's safe. Now go! Before it closes."

I looked at him, "Okay." Preparing myself, I looked back at the people who were there for me. Everyone from the House of Life was there, even the jersey-wearing baboon from earlier. (I learned that his name was Khufu) Katie and Travis was there, Travis even apologized earlier for acting really bad towards me. As a bit of revenge, I strongly hinted that for a certain someone to like him, he should tone down his jerk-ish attitude. And Daphne…

"Wait!"

Daphne ran to me, "Here." She unclasped her bracelet. "Have this."

"But–"

She shook her head. "No buts." Grabbing my arm, she fastened the silvery chain, "I want you to have it." She stepped back and I stared at the metal chain for a second. It looked girly on my arm, but it then glowed brightly before changing into this thin band of small interlacing chains that could totally pass as a bracelet someone like me would wear. The bracelet felt warm against my skin, warm and tinglish, like a baby's breath. It sounds creepy, for it feels like it had a life of its own, but trust me it's not. More than anything, I felt safe with it on me. Safe and comforted.

"Be careful, okay?" she told me.

Smiling, like the total goof that I think I am, I told her the same. "You too."

And with all the goodbyes done, I gave one last glance at everyone. At this world that I'm leaving. And a second later, I leaped into the swirling mass of sand.

* * *

DISCLAIMER:** The following is a work of FICTION**

**The events, characters and names are fictional and/or derived from real mythology**

**and the Percy Jackson and Kane Chronicles series are owned by Rick Riordan**

**By writing this fanfic, no offense in intended to anyone**


	11. Chapter 11

Title: _**My Hard to Believe Mythological Experience**_

Chapter 11: something's coming

* * *

To be an _**Einherjar**_

a hero must die a most _noble_ and selfless death.

A _**valkyrie**_ chooses her _**einherjar**_

but what happens when her current incarnation is _incomplete_?

* * *

The ride – am I using the proper term here? – was weird, but surprising not unpleasant. I dare not open my eyes though for there could be something in this teleportation thing that I might see that I can't _un_-see. Fortunately, the next thing I knew, I was sprawled on the floor groaning.

"This is the _one_ Morpheus was talking about?" a female voice said, scornfully arrogant. I couldn't move; it is as if I was pinned to the ground, but I certainly wasn't hurt–any more than the initial impact of hitting the ground. Still, like I said, I couldn't move.

"He is mortal." Another feminine voice spoke, quite a bit with disdain.

"Oh hush will you," a third voice reprimanded, also female, "You are aware mortals are like blank canvases, a perfect candidate for this."

I was finding it hard to open my eyes too. I can't even discern if my eyes were closed or if I had indeed opened my eyes and was seeing so much black that there wasn't really anything to see, but my hearing wasn't impaired. Were they talking about me? A candidate? For what?

"I suppose," the who was disgusted earlier said. "I just do not understand why it has to be a mere mortal. A godling, or a demigod even, would've sufficed in this endeavor." There was an exasperated sigh, "I sometimes don't get how that dream god's mind works." If this were one of those dreams again, I'd probably don't give a damn anymore.

It was as if they had read my mind because one of them shouted, "Quiet boy!" at me.

"Let's just get this over with." I heard footsteps nearing to my direction, and a second later a hand on my stomach, "I bless thee with the divinity of magic. The power to employ the elements and cosmos. Carry this blessing with pride and dignity."

Another set of footsteps. This time a hand set for my forehead, "I shall gift thee the sanity and wisdom of learning such lore. So that it doesn't consume thee and thy soul. Use it wisely, mortal."

Their hands started to burn, like the heat of a thousand flames being concentrated into a single part of your body. I tried to scream out but no voice came. My mind then started to see these flashes. Random flashes of… of… _things._ A fire, a flower, a dewdrop on top of a leaf, a cloudless sky, the screams of the damned, the laughter of children, a face, a smile, a fortified fortress, a tree… A tree. A tree. Mirth. Regret. Contempt. Sacrifice. A dove. A stream. The stars. A tree. A tree... The Tree. I-I can't grasp all of these images, conceptually and through other means, but as quickly as they arrived, they were out of my mind. It was like these images were overflowing the cup that is my psyche. Yeah, bad description but I wasn't really good with these things okay?

"And I the Mother Goddess, impart thee with the lore of my pantheon. Of the countless acts of selflessness and courage, as well as the nobility of our tradition. I implore you, young hero, use this power and use it true." The last of the three said as she rested her hand on my chest, directly above my heart.

"I advise you not to overdo it," A new voice spoke, a male this time. "You three hold such tremendous power that I fear for the mortal should you continue to impart tithes of your power."

The pain stopped and I was left with this feeling of unwanted power. An exhilarating yet terrifying power. It felt like I had all this strength in my body but with that strength, I felt like with just the wrong word, a misplaced move, I could… That it could end it all.

"Hecate, Isis, Freya…" The male voice started, and I was no doubt too tired to react properly. I didn't do anything strenuous but the entire episode had left me tired. Too tired. "Your debts are now cleared. I thank you, but you must be on your way as my realm cannot fathom to withstand the power of three powerful opposing entities."

"You hijacked the Kane magician's teleportation spell just to intercept this mortal, tell me dream god, just what are you playing at?"

"Have you heard from Set then, Isis?" the guy asked. Wait, Isis, Hecate and Freya? They were goddesses of magic from different mythologies. I remember studying about them for a previous literature exam. And this dream god, they can't be talking about Morpheus?

I still felt pinned to the ground, and just like that dream with that big ball of… light, I felt a slight force being exerted by them, these... gods? ...and I couldn't see them. But what's surprising is that I can't seem to pass out. Come to think of it, can you lose consciousness when you're already passed out or dreaming?

Her answer was laced with a subtle hint of ire. "And pray tell me why should I care for someone who was responsible for my husband's… disposition? I am happy he's… he's…"

"Missing?" the guy finished, "And I know that that scares you. Just as scared as you were when you came to me when I possessed a piece of your husbands-"

"That debt is paid, Morpheus, you said it so yourself." Isis said hotly. I felt exude this strong force. Like a strong gust of wind.

"My apologizes, but am I not right? That Set missing upsets you, your son and his vassals. Not to mention I know that you know that Ra's _ren_ is missing."

Isis didn't answer.

"And you Hecate when was the last time you heard from Eris?"

Hecate answered in a bothered tone, "Harmonia's agitated as ever, and she hasn't been this upset not until the two sisters have decided that incite the Trojan Wars because the state of the world at that time has been too… harmonious. We tried calling her using Iris' services but even your wife seems to have vanished completely. I can't… I can't even feel their essences anymore. It's like they just… vanished."

The last female, Freya, spoke, "You then, do you not worry where your wife is? Or her safety?" I seemed to recall that Freya was also a goddess of marriage and love.

Morpheus tone was curt but concise, "She's on an errand. You should know too because surely you have heard the whispers of the wind, how the Wolf was spotted but the horn wasn't sounded."

"And I've had half the mind to think that you're behind it all?" Isis asked.

"The game you play is a dangerous one, dream god, _everyone_ is wondering why Iris is missing and while her services are still available without her, it's not as powerful. You must think this through." Hecate advised.

"It's not just our pantheons; the eastern storm, Susanoo, worries for her missing sister. No doubt Zeus finds the worried god's behavior troubling already as the stirring storms in the east would tell us. The same goes for Tirawa's vassals. Xihe, the charioteer of the heavens, Surya the supreme light, The Mayans, the Aztecs, gods representing 'light' and 'flame' are dwindling by the second. Even Baldur is missing, is he not, Freya? And Hecate, wasn't Apollo baffled upon finding Hemera and Aether's return as well as Helios' shadow missing? Didn't he say that the only reason why Hemera came back was because she felt like she 'couldn't feel the _light_ anymore?' The titans aren't even as hostile as before, because even they can sense the disarray."

"You think there's a higher power being played here?" Freya, even if she sounded troubled, managed to say evenly.

"What's this got to do with the mortal?" Hecate asked.

"I agree, while the upset in balance is starting to dawn to me, I do not understand what the mortal plays in all this?" Isis asked.

"He's my… last line of defense." He told the three with a hint of something I failed to detect.

"You put that much faith in a mortal?"

"I do. As do your handmaidens, Freya. Your Valkyries. They recognize the strength and will of the mortal spirit." Morpheus told her.

It was then that a low grumble was heard all around me, and then the voices started getting choppy.

"Quickly…mustn't... oath not to tell… secret… fear for the worst."

* * *

"Hey kid." I felt something poking my cheek, "Still alive there?"

I finally get to open my eyes, and see a pair of steel grey eyes dangerously close to my face. And said eyes were from a man's face.

What the–

I push him away as quickly as possible and sit upright, "Whe-Where am I?"

Being disoriented from the teleportation and that dream, wow, the character repertoire of my dreams are getting quite big. But just like most dreams, I can't seem to recall them vividly. Anyway, it took me a few seconds to realize that I was in some sort storage room. A storage room filled with ancient looking urns and paintings.

"I heard a crash here and then I find you unconscious. Amos tells me that they're teleporting someone, but that was–"

"The teleportation worked?" I cut him, disbelieving.

He smirked at me, "Of course it worked."

At that point, I took notice of the guy. Whom I'm annoyed with by being dangerously close at my vulnerable state earlier.

He appeared to be slightly older than me, an eighteen-year-old perhaps? His features were striking; the grey eyes, the shaggy sandy-colored hair underneath a bucket hat, slightly fairer skin than most people, and the most envy-inducing jawline I've ever seen. And yes, despite his slightly unkempt scruffy facial hair, I can still see it. God, I'd kill for a jaw like that. His choice of clothing however was… peculiar. He wore a pair of baggy brown jeans, one that matched his bucket hat, worn-in sneakers, and a green 'Let's save Trees!' shirt that was literally covered in an array of different colors of paint. In fact, he was covered in paint from head to toe.

"I'm Lucas, head of the 87th Nome." I reached out for his extended hand and he helped me up, "Amos Kane told me you were coming, just not this late."

I wiped the wet paint that had transferred to my hand on my jeans, "Why? What time is it?"

"A little past four."

"I… they sent me here a little after noon. Is it supposed to take that long?"

Lucas placed a hand on his chin, thinking, "Not under normal circumstances. But dude, you're here! I'd say that's all that matters."

He gave off that chill, laid-back type. Like an art student, or maybe that's just a stereotype.

We left the room and into the heart of a museum-library hybrid. A rich man owned the place. I knew because my history class went here a couple of months ago. Anyway, the rich guy was a collector, particularly of Egyptian trinkets, who got so much stuff that he wanted to share it to the world. Hey, that's what the pamphlet told me. Since they already owned a private library, why not incorporate their exhibits there? Thus this place was born.

"Wait, so the owner of this place is a part of," I looked around, apparently paranoid already, "the House of Life?

Lucas nodded with a chuckle, "Yup, my dad. Says he's getting too old running the Nome, so I took over. But if you ask me, I think he's just lazy."

He then led me outside and directed me to his ecofriendly car. And yes, the 'let's be green' sticker wasn't even remotely subtle. "You're driving me home?" he nodded. "Sweet, er... thanks! I don't know how to repay you though."

He told me it was fine, but knowing myself, I felt bad and guilty for being so imposing to him.

We chatted; me about how simple my life is and him with his life as an art student at the town's college while juggling his Nome duties. And before I knew it, I was relaying the events that had transpired; from me ending up in New York, being chased by monsters (I didn't tell him specifically about the helhests), going to Camp Half-Blood, and getting sidetrack to the Nome of Amos Kane. Of course, I was cautious about the information that I gave him, leaving out parts like Daphne being a war goddess and my dreams.

But to tell you the truth I'd say he didn't believe me.

"You really went to the demigod camp? I thought that was a myth." I nodded. It wasn't so hard telling him these things because he also had that older brother aura. The one that took care of his younger siblings. I didn't realize it, but when I looked around, we were already in my home town.

Fast forward, and I was thanking Lucas for dropping me home. Watching him as he drives into the distance. It isn't like in the movies, where you hear the sappy orchestra music when they're about to end. If anything, it was anticlimactic. There were no music, no cheesy reunions by the people you love on your front porch, no confessions of love (random I know), it's all just… silence. They say that that silence was companionable, and I guess they're right. Watching Lucas drive farther and farther from me made me realize that I am home.

Home.

Saying that both made me feel sad and happy. I'm happy I'm back, but I was sad that I'll probably never get to see my new friends. And Daphne.

Will I get to see them again?

Probably not. But I could still hope, right?

I walked to my doorstep, pick up the hidden key underneath a nearby plotted plant, and steady myself.

"I'm home."

* * *

DISCLAIMER:** The following is a work of FICTION**

**The events, characters and names are fictional and/or derived from real mythology**

**and the Percy Jackson and Kane Chronicles series are owned by Rick Riordan**

**By writing this fanfic, no offense in intended to anyone**

* * *

**NOTES: **This one officially closes the first arc of the story, which is Theo's introduction into worlds of gods. I'm actually ahead of the story now, I'm currently revising my chapter 14. I'm planning on updating every couple of days. And let me now if you guys like this, okay? it might not seem a lot but I'd really appreciate it!


	12. Theodore: Chapter 12

Title: _**My Hard to Believe Mythological Experience**_

Chapter 12: and I thought this was the end

* * *

To be an _**Einherjar**_

a hero must die a most _noble_ and selfless death.

A _**valkyrie**_ chooses her _**einherjar**_

but what happens when her current incarnation is _incomplete_?

* * *

Six months. Yes, six months. It's been half a year since that incident. To tell you the truth, the more days that pass me by, the more it feels like it was a dream. I mean, I'm back to the plain normality that is my life (and I _am_ happy about it) but sometimes, I think I just… imagined it all. A memory from a dream perhaps.

But it did happen, because mom and everyone I knew all thought that I enrolled myself into this camp after a 'terrorist' threat attacked the school. It also doesn't help much, on my image that is, that everyone thought I came back because I ended up getting homesick. Yep, what a confidence downer. Anyway, yes, everyone perceived the minotaur incident as an act from an unidentified group of terrorists. It was all over the news too, and even now, there were still talking about it. The good thing that came out from this whole experience, aside from no one being harmed to the extent that it wasn't irreparable, was that the school was now being greatly improved. Tons of organizations and people from all over the world pooled their money for the school's reconstruction, and I'm seeing the results now.

But enough about that; my mom actually thought I had PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder, a severe anxiety disorder that can develop after exposure to any event that results in psychological trauma (makes me wonder, can demigods have PTSD too? They are part human too, right?)), and maybe I did, but either way, I got counseled by a colleague of hers for a while.

With this ordinary stuff, I'm pretty sure you're concluding that I have gotten what I want. Ordinary me going back to my ordinary life. That may be true. But turns out, my ordinary town may not be so ordinary after all. The school janitor, I found out, was the satyr stationed there for Camp Half-Blood. See, satyrs were secretly planted all throughout the schools in the country(?), continent(?), world(?) as they scout for potential demigod recruits. Said satyr was coincidentally and conveniently away when the Minotaur had attacked. Which makes me wonder, do recruits have to be direct descendants of gods? Or are 2nd, 3rd, or even 47th generation demigods welcomed there? Are they still considered demigods? Or are they really just people with awesome legacies? With that said, does that mean everyone right now has, at one point, had an ancestry of godly parents? Just not as prominent as direct descendants of course, because I learned from my biology class that the gene pool…

I'm rambling again, and I'm getting off topic.

Town, not-so-ordinary. Right.

Also, there's this really old tree by the park where I live that's actually an anchor for a wood nymph. Her name is Sarah, in memory of a couple who swore their undying love under that tree. I like Sarah, I usually visit her when I'm not busy with my life or school. She likes it too, because I may be the only one in town who could talk to her. She's very shy.

Aside from that, I guess I'm back to my life as a 15 year-old student.

The thing that _is_ new to me is that after feeling all that helplessness from when I was with Daphne and the others, I decided to take it upon myself to be more independent and physically capable. I started improving my physical health; with jogging, a bit of weightlifting and dance classes for finesse and agility. The last part I regret because my mom and my best friend, Tony, now think I've turned into this person who wants to do everything and be perfect. Which I am clearly not; I just don't want to be helpless again. I will also include this fact; I signed myself up for fencing classes, particularly sabre fencing. I just started recently, but my instructor (albeit telling me that I've got a lot to learn) says I've got a bit of knack on it.

As of now, I am seeing the results. I grew at least 2 and a half inches from my original height, my physique looked leaner and toner than before, and I can now run for an extended period of time without feeling so winded (currently, I can run for twelve minutes straight without stopping for air). Though I must admit, all these things have made me a bit vainer too, well more self-conscious. Because there's no denying that seeing such results would inevitably healthily boost my ego and further motivate me more to do these things especially when people notice it and give positive comments about it. In fact, a few girls (and usually these are people I could never imagine as girls who'd want to talk to me before) started noticing me. The downside of it all was that people _are_ starting to notice me, the once nonentity. But, it does help boost my self-confidence.

However, I didn't let my newfound outlook in life stop there, I also studied harder. Mind-and-body, that sort of thing. In turn, my teachers started to notice me more in class, and while I still have a deep loathing for math and history, I'm getting more and more high grades in tests and quizzes. Now that I think about it, I do sound like a person who's trying to do everything. Maybe Tony and mom were right after all.

But enough about the mediocre, shallow stuff. There are still some things that keep on bothering me; like me still dreaming weird dreams. I can only remember some sinister laughing and taunting of a mean sounding man, while two other people, a man and a woman, were telling him that he won't get away with his plans. What his plans were, I really don't know because I somehow always end up waking up. Everything about those dreams were foggy, just like most dreams are, but the thing that I can remember most was the lingering 'you must protect her' thing from a past dream of mine. I don't know who I must protect, and who I must protect her from, but yeah, it still haunts me.

Another thing is how Lucas (the dude from the 87th Nome) tells me about this internal conflict between the Per Ankh. (He and I bonded over video games, of all things.) Carter and Sadie really did shake things up with their new ideologies and demands for reforms. The conflict sounded like the traditionalists were miffed with the idea of working with their Egyptian gods–because the Per Ankh had spent more than two millennia banishing them away. Lucas even tells me that Carter and Sadie are going up against Apophis, the super Big Bad from the Egyptian pantheon. It's amazing really, the siblings have given rebirth to Ra, the sun god, and were currently finding a way to restore Ra to his original form. I don't know what Lucas meant by that, but it sure sounds important.

To top it all off, I have no idea as to what happened to Daphne. I say this because even her parents were convinced that she's currently in a faraway place, even if she's never contacted them, not once, since _that_ incident. In fact, her parents think that she was on the same camp that I had fictionally been. Of course I'd be lying to myself if I'd say I wasn't worried. I hope she's okay, wherever she is.

Everything is all a mess too lately. Sarah is convinced that something bad is brewing. Because she tells me that the whispers of the wind, I'm quoting her, sound troubled. And that this disturbance is felt by the entire wilderness. Especially since there was this news that this Percy guy – you know the superhero from Camp Half-Blood – was missing. And while, 'missing' is a loose term in the wild (because according to Sarah, none-sentient trees usually know everything and are complete gossipmongers, thus making them quite up-to-date with current affairs and people), it was like this Percy guy, according to these trees, literally vanished from the face of the earth.

This has gotten a bit depressing. So I'll tell you guys something else.

Today, I'm visiting Tony, partly because I'm bored and mostly because I've nothing else better to do. It's a lazy weekend, and one that was a week before school becomes officially over. Recently, I've bugged him enough to join me in all of my activities, like in becoming fit because he's my best friend. Well, he's already fit because he helps do the farm work for his family, but I managed to nag him that he usually accompanies me in the things that's health related. What? He'd dragged me into whatever trouble he could think off too, and I'd almost always unwillingly do it anyway.

Back to the topic, I found Tony just finishing his chores for the day. He could easily pass as my older twin. We had the same darkish brown hair, him being a shade deeper and his height came up a few inches from my already increased height. Our eyes though were different, he had pale blue ones. Our personalities are quite complementary; well that's what people tells us, I was the quiet, mellow one while he was the loud, carefree one. Naturally, the girls from school flock to him more than me, and I really don't mind it. Everyone is also convinced that we were brothers separated at birth. My mom and his parents think so too apparently. I'd also point out, that if Terry were here, and Tony and I just saw him a month ago, I'm pretty sure everyone would then start commenting us as a three-set piece. That sounded completely irrelevant though.

"Dude," he said to me taking his muddy boots off. We were at their barn, and while I usually helped around (much to his mom's chagrin) I cannot stand the smell of their livestock. In fact, I had a hand covering my nose as I asked him, "Let's play video games." Tony and I bought this PS3 with the money we earned by doing part-time jobs and weird errands for the townsfolk. We share it by having one full week of the console to ourselves before the other would get it.

"I can't, I promised I'd do mom's shopping this time." See, Tony, despite being ditzy and a bit of an airhead sometimes, was the most dependable person I knew of my age. He's generally a good person too; supportive, reliable, and fun to be with, which is totally against his would-be spoiled upbringing. He's an only child whose parents owned a big farm. They're one of the top providers of vegetables in the country. His family was well off, but they never let all that money go into their heads. His mother did the household chores, his dad usually worked in the farm, and Tony helped as much as he could. I'm kinda envious; he got everything he would want if he behaved. But that is to say that his parents raised him to work hard in order to earn his wants in life.

I ran outside when he walked for the exit. "Well, I guess I'd just follow you to the grocery then."

* * *

"I don't understand why you have to buy produce when your family actually grows them." We were in the grocery, which was weird because Tony's farm provided a good deal of the goods here.

"I know that," he smacks my shoulder, "I'm only here to buy the things our farm _doesn_'_t _provide."

Makes sense, I thought as I smiled sheepishly. We were by the fruit stalls when out of the corner of my eyes, I saw something peculiar. There was a man who had an axe for a head. No kidding. An _axe_ for a head. I could literally see that the axe was _embedded _on his neck. Beside him was another man, but instead of an axe, he had a pickaxe for a head. Between them was this impossibly small dog. It looked like a small Chihuahua. And I mean _small Chihuahua_. I had to blink a couple of times too before I concluded that I wasn't seeing things. Oh they were human alright, from the neck down. They wore t-shirts, jeans and sneakers, but if you looked at them, and their heads. Yeah, not-so-human after all.

Their body language seemed to tell me that they have noticed me, and that is when Daphne's metal chain bracelet started to burn up. Not once, since I've returned home, have I taken her trinket off. Not even when I took baths. (and no, it didn't rust when it got wet.) It sometimes tingled, when I was in a good mood, or if I got a bit depressed. It felt like a comforting friend, a constant companion. It usually calmed me down too when I was very angry. But this is the first time this bracelet started to burn. Not so much that I might end up with injuries, mind you, but warm enough for me to start panicking.

It was like, it was telling me something. I got a feeling that it sensed an impending danger. Also, Sarah the wood nymph, after taking notice of the chain that is wrapped around my wrist, once commented that this bracelet was something more important. Though she did know that this was a weapon, even if it had never turned into a weapon ever since I got back.

"Tony," I said stiffly, noticing the two… er… people (?) walking towards me.

"Yup?" he had an armful of chips, no doubt for his stash of sweets. I would've commented about him buying that _many_ but I've got more pressing matters to attend to. "I need some air. I'll just go out for a while."

He was perplexed, but nodded nonetheless.

Hurrying to the exit, I subtly checked behind me, and sure as hell, they were following suit. I started running when I got out of the grocery store, running faster when I got into the parking lot. I took a turn into a secluded, narrow alley but they seemed to have caught on because not after a minute after I had hidden behind some crates, they were already there.

They were after me?

My pulse raised faster. I'm all by myself now. No Katie, no Daphne, no one. How do I get through this? Part of me thought that maybe they weren't _really_ looking for me. But the warm bracelet on my wrist and this weird feeling in my gut told me otherwise.

I felt alone.

Helpless.

.

_No, you are not._

.

The chain trickled warm sensations on my skin, making me calm my nerves a bit.

"That's right." I exhaled wispily.

This bracelet… was it telling me…

.

"I am **not** alone."

.

The bracelet glowed, glowed a dim blue light and not a second more, my closed hand was holding a rapier similar to Daphne's. But it was different, it felt heavier and the blade was a bit… wider. My fencing teacher gave me a lesson about the history of the sword once. A rapier, this was, but at the same time it wasn't.

.

"…_in the 15 century, the Spanish people had modified the sword in what I call the perfect version._

_...a sword that balances its three main purposes;_  
_slash, stab and pierce._  
_A blade so sharp it could cut flesh._  
_A blade so strong it could stab multiple times._  
_And a blade thin enough to wedge its way between their armor."_

_._

"An _espada ropera_." I looked at the sword, "The _dress sword._" I held it in one hand and it felt just like the wristlet; warm and tingly. But this time, it also felt… empowering.

.

_This weapon…_

_this sword…_

_is not meant to destroy._

.

I nodded. The voice in my head sounded very familiar. It sounds too cliché, but I guess my mind's just playing tricks on me because it sounded like Daphne was inside my head, encouraging me.

.

_Protect yourself, protect your friend_

_ and everyone you love and care for._

_Isn't that what's worth fighting for?_

_._

"You're right." This wasn't a weapon to destroy; I backed away and gave it a little swing; this is a weapon meant to protect.

They were coming closer, the impossibly small dog, which could probably fit at the palm of my hand, sniffed the ground and then started barking to the crates that were hiding me. The axe head one then pushed the crates away from his sight. They found me there, a sword raised against them.

"What do you want?" I asked, taking a few steps back. "_Give yourself and your enemy enough distance should you be on the defensive_." My instructor said. They didn't answer, and I repeated my question. "What do you wa–" I didn't get to finish it because Axe Head swiftly closed the distance between us and smashed his head to my direction. God, and they're fast too? I narrowly dodged it, and my enemy lost his balance a little.

I then used that opportunity to thrust my weapon to him. But the pickaxe one decided to attack me instead, making me retract my sword in defense. My sword parried his pointed tip and I kicked him to get back into that defensive distance.

"I said, what do you want?" I was serious this time, my sword raised to the level of my head, a thrust downward ready.

"We're not here to hurt you." Axe Face told me.

Oh, it speaks too, terrific. I wasn't sure they were capable of speech - not having heads and all. "For someone who struck first, I find that hard to believe."

The one with the pickaxe stepped in between us, "Information."

My stance loosened a bit, "About what?"

"About a certain war goddess reincarnate." If Pickaxe Head had a face, I'm pretty sure I would've seen him smiling in a feral way at me.

I froze, but steeled my resolve. "I don't know anyone like that."

Axe Head laughed, his tone like nails on a chalkboard, "I'm sure you don't." He brushed some dust over his shoulder, "Rumor has it that this war goddess reincarnate gave her only weapon to a mortal, leaving her defenseless from everyone who wanted her captured."

"Captured?" I didn't let it get to me, "You're lying?"

We moved in circles, both sides carefully reading each other, anticipating that palpable would-be first strike. "Am I?" Axe Head taunted, "We came here because of the pull of a divine, and I guess we just found the mortal with her barbarian Artefact."

Pickaxe Head brought out a handkerchief from his pocket and polished his pickaxe for a head. "In any case, the underworld is looking for her. Particularly those of the Niflheim domain."

"I suppose you wouldn't tell me why, right?" I asked condescendingly.

"Since, you won't get to live past this day, we might as well tell you." They laughed, their tones twice as annoying together, "The queen of the underworld has commission a bounty for whoever could capture the young godling, for reasons we don't give a damn about."

"And your prize?" Surely it must be something considering they're willing to go out of their way just to get it, without knowing the reason why she's wanted.

"A whole demonic platoon for him to command that's large enough to conqueror a small dimension." Axe Face gleefully told me, "Just for the head of a reincarnate. Dead or alive." I doubt that they'll want to keep her alive though.

He launched forward, aiming his head to my heart. I could've easily parried it if it wasn't for Pickaxe Man attacking me at the same time. Like a dance, the two delivered blow after blow in near-perfect unison. I barely managed to deflect each of their strikes, each attack getting more and more difficult to evade as time passed by, and I could feel myself being led into a tight corner. I started to lose hope.

.

_Don't just think Theo, you have to _**Feel**_ it._

.

What the–might as well try, right?

"…_rapiers, such as the espada ropera, deal deathblows by stabbing its sharp pointed tip to enemy weak spots, like the joints of the ancient full body steel armor."_

_._

**Feel**_ it Theo,_

_when it's going to attack,_

_you have to _**Feel**_ it._

_Just don't forget to think fast on your feet._

_._

Relax…

Axe Man made a narrow slash to my throat, and that's when I saw it, the split-second vulnerability. Just after he misses, he hesitates, leaving a very narrow opportunity that I could exploit. He struck again, and just like before, I managed to evade it just at the last possible moment but this time instead of staying defensive, I stabbed him in the side with my sword.

The yelp of pain that he screamed was both cringe-worthy and pitiful. Retracting my blade, fine shimmery sand started oozing from the small puncture wound.

"YOU!" Axe Head bellowed, desperately flailing his head, his attacks getting easier to dodge by the second. He and the Pickaxe Man attacked in tandem, but like I said, it was easier with one of them losing energy. I managed to kick Axe Head away and when he hit the wall, his entire being exploding into the same shimmery dust that was pooling out from his injury.

I didn't get to celebrate because it was Pickaxe Man's turn to attack me senselessly.

.

_**Believe** in yourself._

_._

I did. And I refuse to be the same helpless person all those months ago.

Parrying his latest attack, I let his g-force outbalance himself. He turned clumsily, and tried hitting me again. I side-stepped it and his head ended up getting stuck on the wall where I had kicked Axe Head. He was defenseless, and this was my chance. I gave a swift stab to his back and he immediately turned into the same material as his friend.

Exhausted, I fell into the ground panting. I just survived my first monster attack. I should be rejoicing that I'm alive, but I did not because the two of them had taunted me that I had left Daphne vulnerable. And I believed them. Guilt washed over me; how could I just accept Daphne's only weapon like that? Sure I didn't know back then, but surely, I should've thought that she would be unarmed without it. And just what was she thinking when she gave it to me anyway? But then again, we're really both at fault here, but still…

Getting my calm back, I used my sword as a makeshift cane to help me stand up. The whole encounter left me winded and tired but somehow I felt… stronger? Something comparable to leveling up in my RPG games. But that didn't mean I had become complacent, I barely survived. And that that resolve to do better strengthened in me.

The dusts that were once my enemies got caught up in the wind, glittering like stars as they scattered and dispersed. The sword in my hand flashed a faint light, and the next thing I saw was that it had reverted back into my wristlet. Good, I didn't want to explain to Tony why I held a sword in my hand.

I went back into the parking lot when the small dog from earlier stood before me.

The chihuahua stood there barking at me. There was something about the small thing that bothered me deeply. It was as if this dog... didn't feel like an animal. In fact, it stared at me with such menacing eyes.

"Shoo!" I told him, waving my hand to dissuading him from whatever he was planning but that didn't seem to be a bright idea because the dog ended up being more menacing towards me. "Go away!" I yelled loudly, but it didn't budge. My heart started to pulse again, because Daphne's bracelet started to warm up once more. I started having a very bad feeling about this. And this feeling was worse compared to the two weird-headed men earlier.

I didn't know if it was my eyes tricking me again, but the dog started to grow bigger and bigger. At first, it didn't look anything more than a small duffel bag, but it kept growing in size until it was twice as tall as me. Two nubs – more disgusting if you saw it, I promise – grew on either side of his head, while I could see that his tail started to extend. This was probably the most grotesque thing I've ever seen; the dog's body seemed to shift to that of a horse, one of the nubs turned into a goat head while the other turned to that of an eagle. Its original head shifted until it resembled that of a male lion's, complete with its furry red mane and its tail turned scaly and – holy crap!

This looked like a chimera, albeit not the traditional Greek one, but I've played a great deal of video games to know that this was a chimera. All the blood on my face left me. You have got to be kidding me.

The beast's lion head roared and just like that, blue flames shot from his mouth.

_Great_. It breathes fire too. Well, I should've expected that. The goat head then breathed a chilling wind, and it was a good thing that I had dodged it on instinct because the chilling wind just frosted a random car.

Ice breath? Too?

The chimera leaped to my direction, the eagle head letting out a shrill scream before some green goo came from its beak. It landed on a nearby pole and the pole started to dissolve.

Fire, ice and acid breath. Really? Someone hates me way too much.

I rolled away into safety and looked at my bracelet, which surprisingly changed back into my weapon, the Spanish rapier. Should I run? This was a monster I'm pretty sure I had no chance of survival. And there were probably random people who might get hurt if I remained here.

Yes, I was running away for the safety of other people. I convinced myself that. I turned around and made a sprint for the clearing ahead of me. But my optimism and planning could only do so much because the chimera behind me leaped and landed in front of me.

The lion head took a bite at my head, which I rolled away from. The goat head then breathed its cold breath into my direction, a thin layer of ice forming on the surface where his breath had touched, and that was right before its eagle head shot spits of acid towards me. Fighting a chimera was a long and arduous task. And generally not a good idea. It didn't even take long for me to realize that I stood no chance against it. It was too fast, too strong and too stealthy that I couldn't land a single strike against it. It also didn't help that he had all this fire, ice and acid gimmick that made it pretty clear that I couldn't beat it. Actually, I was pretty surprised that I managed to stay alive for this long.

_You can do this Theo._ The Daphne voice in my head cheered.

Must I really have to fight it though? What did I ever do to receive such a fate anyway?

"Hey! Theo! I'm done with the groceries." A voice yelled from behind. "Wha-what is _that_!"

Oh crap. Tony.

The monster thought what I had thought and immediately, it visibly shifted his focus from me. It leaped into the air and land right in front of my friend.

"Tony! Run!"

The following seconds after that was a gigantic, depressing blank. I've read from one of my mom's books that people who've undergone or witnessed traumatizing events sometimes, out of necessity, block those memories. I was thinking how that might be my case because all I remember was Tony's grutal scream and me charging impulsively to his aid.

I've always had Tony's back, just as he always had mine. I remember during middle school when Reymark Spear stated harassing me for my lunch money, and since he was quite the prominent member of the wrestling club, I was too scared to stand up for myself – too scared to even tell someone. So one lunch time when Tony noticed how I no longer ate and how I tended to avoid the cafeteria, he took it upon himself to follow me around, caught me being bullied my Reymark, and take the initiative to do something about it. He literally ravaged him, one that ended with 7 stitches on Reymark and a broken wrist on Tony. Most of my peers still speak of it, and I can honestly say that no one ever bothered with me again. And I tried my darndest to the do the same for hm.

I wasn't about to let him down now. Not when it really mattered.

I reckon the whole thing didn't last for more than a few seconds, but it felt exhaustingly longer than that. Everything was a haze, but when I came to, I was standing in front of a prone Tony, covered in sparkling dust, Daphne's sword a few feet away from my friend. I had thrown my weapon as a last resort, I recall. It pierced his back… and… and…

"Tony!" I had to turn him around to examine him. He was unconscious, and was breathing shallowly, a distinct bite mark on his forearm. A snake bite. Black ooze was leaking out of his wound, and the skin around it has swollen.

It was at that moment, not even during the time when I was with Daphne and the others, that I felt so…

.

_helpless_

.

* * *

DISCLAIMER:** The following is a work of FICTION**

**The events, characters and names are fictional and/or derived from real mythology**

**and the Percy Jackson and Kane Chronicles series are owned by Rick Riordan**

**By writing this fanfic, no offense in intended to anyone**

* * *

**NOTES:** so I think it's established that I have a lot of silent readers, I can see the number of hits the fic has, so I'm just gonna give a shoutout to you guys :D Anyway hope you like the update. I am, however, concerned if I might be making time and plotline inconsistencies. I mean, I'd like this story to flow like this; TLO/Red Pyramid - then Theodore/Daphne's adventure to Camp Half-Blood and the the House of Life then - six month time skip. So technically, the timeline of this fic is currently parallel to the events before The Lost Hero and The Son of Neptune, and right after the events of Throne of Fire. I'd really appreciate comments though.


	13. Daphne: Chapter 13

Title: _**My Hard to Believe Mythological Experience**_

Chapter 13: the other side of the coin

* * *

To be an _**Einherjar**_

a hero must die a most _noble_ and selfless death.

A _**valkyrie**_ chooses her _**einherjar**_

but what happens when her current incarnation is _incomplete_?

* * *

Quite honestly, this is pretty awkward for me. You have to understand that I don't like talking about myself. I really don't. I never really am the type to tell stories too. Much more so now since I am about to tell my _own_ account on what is currently happening to me. It'll be embarrassing.

Well, let's just get this over with then.

A couple of months have passed since I saw Theo jump into the teleportation portal. For someone I just met, (one who hasn't even exceeded the 72-hour mark) he certainly left a lasting impression. I doubt it'd forget about him that easily too.

Right now, I am taking a bus to a small town somewhere in the west coast. Actually, I'm supposed to be heading north. The other me, Skeggiold, told me that I must go there. She sounded urgent and bothered, and she kinda still is. We might have gotten there sooner too if it wasn't for all the side trips we keep on doing. Yes, she's telling me to go north as soon as possible yet at the same time we're going all around the country doing… _things_ that would make me uncomfortable if I told you.

Contrary to popular belief, we don't really share all of our thoughts. I don't know how to clearly describe it, but she and I are like roommates. Which was very different on Carter and Sadie case. I think… maybe… I dunno. They had told me that they were pretty much open books to Horus and Isis. Now that I think about it, I have a feeling that Gold (that's the nickname that I had given her) could hear all of my thoughts. Well at least she gives me the right to have my own thoughts, and I mean, she doesn't give comments to everything I think of. Which is a huge relief because I wouldn't want someone hearing my deepest, darkest thoughts and give comments and criticisms on it; she'll just be really quiet about it.

Katie and Travis had returned to their camp, with a promise (they actually had to swear to this river about sticks) to Amos to never tell any of the other demigods about the House of Life. Something about the repercussions that might instigate another inter-pantheon war.

I chose to stay in the 21st Nome for the first couple of weeks, for my safety and Katie and Travis' too (because I'd rather deal with magicians rather than gods, gods who take a lot of things too personally, according to other me), but I guess I really wasn't _that_ safe there too. Bast's nasty looks kept sending me and my other self over the edge. We always walked on eggshells when she's around, and don't even get me started when I told her that Gold and I would be happy to help in the reawakening of Ra. She was _this_ close to clawing our heads off. Let's not forget the growing numbers Carter and Sadie's recruits. And while it's no big deal to them –and they're very, very friendly– I really didn't want to bother them anymore than I already have. And let's not forget one Chief Lector Michel Desjardins. Yeah, I really didn't feel _that_ safe there.

Back then, before I left, they were looking for some three-piece thing that's supposed to make Ra reawaken. Bast had told me, well to Gold, that in no way must barbarians like us interfere with their affairs. And even if I wanted to help, Gold had told me that it's best if I just did what Bast had requested. But it wasn't all that bad there, I made my first real friends at that Nome, especially with Cleo, Amos and a girl named Alyssa. I was mostly around Cleo in the library, reading most of the scrolls that I can read (there were a few Nordic ones that Gold would read to me) and helping Cleo in whatever she was doing. Also, Gold helped improve Carter's sword fighting abilities, much to Horus' extreme vexation. And with Sadie, I would always instinctively refer to her as 'my Lady' or 'Your Grace' and this has little to no bearing with her being British. She finds it absolutely infuriating, while Carter is always amused when I'd slip. Gold theorizes since that was what she called Isis back then, maybe it carried over to me after she had been reincarnated.

I had a lot of fond memories there too, but I and my other self knew that we couldn't keep hiding there forever. So I packed the little stuff that I had – a toothbrush, some feminine stuff, and two sets of clean clothes – and I bade farewell to everyone.

I don't know if they had succeeded in whatever they were planning but since that weird 'the sun rose twice today' phenomena that happened recently, I guess they're doing alright. Especially since Skeggiold tells me that a strong force of Order has reawakened.

Anyway, back then, After I had taken my first step out of the Nome, I realized that this would be the first time that I'll be out in the open. By myself. You have to understand that I have never stepped out of my sanctuary, not since the day a monster had attacked me in the playground when I was little. That was also the day when Gold had reawakened from her slumber in me; it was she who dispatched the enemy. Imagine a younger me crying later by myself because there was a voice in my head telling me that I was a reincarnated version of a war goddess. Yeah, that's what I felt.

Oh, I tried to act as normal around everyone after that but more monsters seemed to have caught on with my scent, and before long, I no longer wanted to go back to school, no longer wanted to go to my friends' slumber or birthday parties for their safety. It was for the greater good, I guess. It'd be much safer if I disappeared for a while. So Gold used what little power she had left at that time to hide me away from the world – using the Mist on everyone I knew (even my parents), hiding my not-so-mortal 'stench' by collecting oddball trinkets (Gold has yet to explain that to me, but collecting those things kinda grew on me) – bidding her time until I, no, _we_ were strong enough.

We wandered around a bit, Gold manipulating the Mist whenever I got into tight spots around normal people. Technically, everything could be free in the mortal world if you had control over the Mist. Because of it, I could stay at any place I want for free. Any hotel that I could think off. The Mist could cloud even security cameras. But it's not perfect. I mean you could trick the camera (or the mortal viewing the footage the camera had recorded) with the Mist but paper trail? Money transactions? Reserved rooms? They're an entirely different story. That's why high end ones are a lot trickier than those cheap ones. Besides, it's easier to hide from monsters in dodgy motels. I think... well, I'm not sure. But it's working so far because in the entire six months that I've been wandering around, We've only managed to fight five monster battles. And all of them were really bottom-tier monsters; no monster Gold can't handle by herself.

And yes, I don't know how to fight: it's all Gold's efforts. Though she says it's marginally harder now since her primary weapon was with Theodore. I mean, it was a relief that Amos gave us a _sapparra _so we weren't sitting ducks in the outside world, but Gold feels... stiff when she's using it against monsters. Come to think of it, why did she ask me to give our weapon to Theodore? I think it's a souvenir thingy but...er, let's just go back to the Mist issue.

Food then? The same. Clothes and other necessities? Mist. I didn't risk having a cellphone though, because I think those two who attacked us by the Nome could track me if I had one, but I do call my parents time and time again using payphones. I just tell them that if anyone asks about me, I was at a camp and that they hadn't heard much from me. It was easier convincing them too, for their safety, because Gold used her Mist powers. And then there's convenience and department stores. Yeah, it's all pretty easy; I had everything I would ever need and I didn't need to carry it around me. And yes, there were times when I wanted to just grab a bunch of clothing from _those_ stores because they were so cute. What? I'm a girl too. Well, you're the same as Gold, with all of that 'you'll need only what you need' thoughts.

At that time, we had no clear purpose and direction as to where we were going, so we really roamed around. We didn't risk going back home for the safety of my parents and Theodore. We moved from place to place, from motel to motel, until I ended up in New York. Particularly somewhere near the Empire State Building. Something weird was going on there, and there's too much thick Mist around that place, not to mention Gold was unnervingly silent the entire time we were there.

Feeling uncomfortable, I decided to just leave the premises.

But the weird feeling resurfaced when I reached this newly remodeled bridge. The place felt like… _death._ And I didn't mean that in a creepy, it-is-haunted way.

Once, Gold told me that her latent powers, just like with her Valkyrie sisters, is that whenever she's in Midgard, she can sense the memories of the slain in a battlefield. They can hear the echoes of those who died valiantly. That's how they get to choose their Einherjar. She thinks it passed on to me, just that I have no control over it. That's why I hate hospitals – going there gives me all these flashes of those who didn't make it, and it's enough to give me a migraine. What? Hospitals _are _battlefields – people fight for their lives in there, some survive and some don't. In fact, some of the bravest people are located there–especially patients fighting tooth and nail against deadly illnesses. Graveyards, despite being a place of death, are different. I don't feel anything when I'm in or near one. Skeggiold tells me because all those people there have been laid to rest in peace, prepared for the afterlife. Einherjar are restless souls who have shown their bravery in battle (whether it's a real fight or a battle in an entirely different sense) so those souls in graveyards are not of a Valkyrie's jurisdiction. Besides, according to Gold, the afterlife is a messy business with Hel, Anubis, Osiris, Thanatos, Hades and all those death gods fighting for what souls should end in in whose domain.

Anyhow, back to the bridge, the feel of the place was almost too overpowering, I'm surprised I managed to stay conscious there. It was different from a hospital too, because in a hospital, I get all these flashes from _all_ the people who are and were worthy to be an Einherjar, being bombarded with all of these images… that is why they hurt so much. But this place, it's like…

.

_" - This was once a real battlefield. - "_

_._

Gold?

.

_" - There_ was_ once a great battle here, not too long ago. - "_

_._

I was about to ask her what she meant by that, but another voice inside my head spoke.

_Another one?_ It spoke. It was a voice of a young man. _How many times do I have to tell you people this? I don't have plans to be your lapdog._

Skeggiold told me to concentrate and stick my hand out. People around me probably thought that I was a lunatic, but I did what she said. Suddenly, I felt a tingly warmness in front of me. I opened my eyes, and saw a young man, a bit older than me, standing in front of me. He had an irritated look on his face, and despite being in normal, teenage clothing, the intricate bow slung over his shoulder was enough to intimidate me.

Oh and he's translucent. Glowing in a faint golden-yellow aura. I wasn't sure if people around me could see him, but I am shocked at seeing... seeing...

.

_" - Don't_ _be scared, Daphne. __- "_

_._

"A-are you a… ghost?" Yes, a war goddess reincarnate is afraid of ghosts.

The young man's brow rose, "You're joking, right?"

.

" - _Never give anyone the **satisfaction** of seeing your fearful face. - "_

_._

I pursed my lips into a thin line, "Why would I be? You're… you're translucent." I stuck my hand to him, and sure as hell, my hand passed right through him. This made him frown some more, and made an uncomfortable shiver run down my spine.

"While I don't appreciate people letting parts of their body pass over my incorporeal form, I'm guessing this is your first time." He had a cheeky grin on his face. It was then that I studied his face, due to being ghostly, I could only see that he had handsome features. He had dark hair and, I wasn't really sure of this, probably brown eyes. He was short though, well he's taller than me, but he's probably shorter than Katie by an inch or two.

"Michael Yew," he tilted his head, "I'd shake your hand but seeing as I'm intangible, I would probably settle with a smile instead." Is he for real? Granted, his smile was cute, but if he was hitting on me, so help me, I'd be more than happy to sock him in the face.

"Yeah," I frowned. It's not like I don't appreciate a guy hitting on me, but… erm…

.

what would_ Theo_ think?

.

Wait, no… _no_… definitely no. Why did I think of that? Of him?

Gold was strangely quiet again, and I was about to call on her when I heard a growl behind me.

* * *

DISCLAIMER:** The following is a work of FICTION**

**The events, characters and names are fictional and/or derived from real mythology**

**and the Percy Jackson and Kane Chronicles series are owned by Rick Riordan**

**By writing this fanfic, no offense in intended to anyone**

* * *

**NOTES:** so, yeah, the next arc of this fic (which is this arc) is told by both Daphne and Theodore. I really appreciate the comments on the previous chapter :D I hope you would comment again!


	14. Theodore: Chapter 14

Title: _**My Hard to Believe Mythological Experience**_

Chapter 14: the visit to Lucas' Nome

* * *

To be an _**Einherjar**_

a hero must die a most _noble_ and selfless death.

A _**valkyrie**_ chooses her _**einherjar**_

but what happens when her current incarnation is _incomplete_?

* * *

As I stared at my prone friend, it was as if my entire world came crashing down on me. For the past few months, I have been convinced that that world – that magical, godly world – and my world would never meet. That it was separated by this gigantic wall that let no one, or nothing, pass through. But seeing my injured friend's semi-conscious state, it… it scared me. I felt… weak. Weaker that I'd ever been.

My legs felt like jelly, my stomach was churning uncomfortably, my hands were uncontrollably shaking, and what's worse, I kept staring at him, my mind blank. I kept telling myself to do something, but I just… froze.

It mustn't have lasted longer than ten minutes, but it felt like an eternity to me. If it wasn't for the glimmer of light that blinded me for a second. The sword. I looked down, and saw Daphne's sword on the floor, its blade reflecting the sunlight over my eyes. This is gonna sound weird, but like I said, it was like a constant companion to me. And right now, it was telling me to get my act together.

I tried waking him up; shaking him, calling out his name, I even wanted to punch him awake but I didn't have the courage. Besides, he was injured. When he didn't respond, I began to panic.

_Get a hold of yourself_. The voice inside of my head spat. _Panicking won't do you any good._

The voice was right.

I thoroughly inspected him, even if the only medical qualification I ever had would be the Boy Scout first aid badge I earned when I was little. He was breathing, still breathing, which was good. But it was faint, which was bad. He was perspiring profusely despite being icy cold, which was worse. And the worst part? I didn't know what to do.

_Okay, Theodore,_ I thought,_ think._ Of course, I can't or I _shouldn't_ bring Tony to a doctor because it'll make things even more complicated than it already is. What would I say? That a monster attacked my friend in the middle of a parking lot? That he got bitten by the snake end of a Chimera? Heck even I wouldn't believe myself if I'd say that, even if it were the truth.

I need a doctor specializing in incidents such as these. Someone like Jaz probably. What I needed was a healer from a House of Life; they were the only people I knew who could probably help my friend. It then hit me like a ton of bricks. What I needed was right in front of me; I can go ask Lucas for help! Lucas of the 87th Nome.

"Tony," I said as I slung his arm, the uninjured one, over my neck, "You have to stand up." I saw him nod once, "On the count of three, okay? One, two… three!" Our ascend was wobbly, but somehow we managed.

The next hurdle was then presented to me. How would I get there? I can't go to the bus stop carrying Lucas who'd probably get everyone's attention. I looked at Tony, and I saw the key chain dangling sticking out from one of his pockets.

.

This is _so_ gonna suck.

.

* * *

Tony had the keys of his dad's old pick-up truck. It had been a gift from him, thinking that since Tony learned how to drive their tractors and machinery, when he was tall enough to reach their pedals and stuff, might as well go all the way and add cars in that list.

I just got my drivers permit two weeks ago, and by now I've realized that I'm kinda leaning towards the 'no-to-driving' since I tense up whenever I'm on the wheel. My mom tells me that it's just nerves, but I'm not sure about that. With that said, you should know that a 30-minute drive to the next town was a very steep hill for me to climb. Especially with a delirious passenger.

"Tony, stay with me." He was speaking gibberish, something about eggs and plungers and wanting to sleep. I had to keep on checking on him, urging him to not sleep yet, while trying to not damage all the nearby cars and not die in the process ourselves.

I'll be the first to admit that my driving skills (if you call it a skill) leave a lot to be desired, but it wasn't the worst. Sure a handful of angry drives had given me the finger and stuff, but it wasn't bad enough that we'd get noticed by the highway patrol officers.

"I'm cold," Tony whimpered, sweating bullets, "But w-why is-s-s it s-s-s-so ho-ho-hot?"

I stepped on the pedal harder, "Hang in there, I'm gonna get you some help."

Believe me when I say this, but I had never been so thankful when I had parked the car by the Nome's parking lot.

After that, it was all a blur; I remember the long arduous walk to the entrance, a confused Lucas, Tony puking by the entrance, and us being silently whisked into the infirmary in a secret room in the first floor.

"What happened?" was what Lucas asked as I was aiding him in placing shivering Tony into a cot. I was out of breath, but I still forced myself to say, "Chimera bit him." In-between my hearty gasps.

"A Chimera?" his eyes widened, "In your hometown?"

"Later," I managed to say, "Can you help him?"

It was then that Tony started to scream in pain. I tried to calm him down because it looked like he was also having a seizure.

The commotion we were making was so loud I thought everyone in the library museum could hear us.

"Theo, dude," Lucas calm said, "Did you know what head bit him?" The aura around him changed, instead of the goofy, airhead-y hippie vibe, he was now in an authoritative stance befitting a head of a Nome. I've only seen him like this; the last one was when a Michel Desjardins came for an abrupt visit a couple of months ago.

"I don't kn… the snake! The snake bit him," Looking at my friend, all pale and writhing in pain, made me want to lose my lunch.

"So he's been poisoned," Lucas muttered under his breath, going to a nearby cabinet.

"How long was he poisoned?"

I touched the skin near the snake bite, it was his left forearm. "More than thirty minutes ago." The wound had swollen, forming a huge lump over his arm, and was leaking a dark liquid.

I saw Lucas' face. It was that of an alarmed one. "That long?" he then grabbed a nearby statuette and placed it over his head.

"Theo," he looked at me in the eye, "I'm going to need you to leave."

"I'm not leaving my friend, Lucas."

He then set the things he had grabbed from the cabinet on a nearby table. It was an assortment of weird plants and trinkets, and I swear I saw some dried tongue there. "You have to. I need to concentrate on what I'm about to do," he then grabbed some of his ingredients and placed it on a bowl, "I can't concentrate if you're around hovering and panicking around us."

I had half a brain telling me to sock him in the face, but I wouldn't want to argue anymore. The time we could've spent in arguing would be better if we just spent on treating my friend. "Okay."

Lucas nodded, "Thanks," he then grabbed a dagger and tore open Tony's shirt, "I promise to do everything I can to save you friend, Theo."

* * *

The wait outside of the infirmary was the longest I've ever waited. Most agonizing too. Medical drama shows all show this somewhat cheesy montage where the characters of the story would pace or sit with worry clearly evident on their faces as the injured character that was rushed to the ER was operated… yeah, it was like that. Except, I didn't pace, nor did I sat there patiently waiting. I shook with an unstoppable fear in my seat. I sent a silent prayer, a desperate plea to anyone who could hear me, for my friend. If there was someone, anyone, out there who could hear my prayer, I pleaded for his safety.

Minutes passed by, and it did nothing to alleviate my troubled feelings. I had said that the world Daphne Smith was in felt like it was a faraway place? I take it back. The entire weight of realization lay heavy on my shoulder. That world, that… _place _was staring at me, taunting me and my helplessness. I couldn't look up from the floor, the fear ebbing at the very fibers of my being. When I saw Tony, my closest and my only true friend, lying on the cot, bleeding and in obvious pain, it was… it was worst thing I've felt in my life. Seeing Tony there made me realize that everything, the whole thing six month ago, _had_ happened. And it was real. Very real. Nothing – not even my disturbing dreams – was scarier than that. Scarier that the truth.

The bracelet on my arm tingled, sending fluttering waves of subtle comfort. It helped a little… but…

I glance at the wall clock; it's been two hours, three in a couple of minutes, since Lucas made me leave the infirmary. I started fondling the bracelet, a habit I had picked up whenever I was tense or worried, and the tingles it was sending intensified somewhat.

Tony must make it through. He has to.

If… If only I hadn't… If I hadn't stuck into Daphne's business, this would never…

I frowned. I didn't want to think thoughts like that.

"Please," I whispered, "Please save my friend."

* * *

"Theo," Lucas' face was grim and I frankly feared for the worst.

Pleading, I looked at him.

The young art student placed a hand over my shoulder. "I did everything that I could." My heart just sunk. And it started to feel like I was hyperventilating. He noticed my current state, "Oh, no, I didn't mean it like that. Bro, he's fine now. He's exhausted, but I managed to extract most of the venom inside of his body." The sheer elation I felt at that moment made me engulf Lucas into a hug. IT was like a huge weight was lifted off of me. Sighing in relief, I realized that there was something in my eyes that made me wipe them away as quickly as possible. "Thanks…" I breathed. "Can I see him now?"

He grinned, "Of course, but he is going to need plenty of rest. And we'll have to talk later." It didn't register what he was saying to me; just the fact that I could see my friend was enough.

Slowly, I entered the infirmary.

Tony was sleeping soundly in the same cot he was in earlier. He looked pale, like a good deal of his blood was missing from him, but he seemed better than his state earlier. The arm that was bitten was no longer engorged and was wrapped in bandages. Frankly, and I wouldn't want to say this to Tony, he's never looked so fragile. Yet at the same time, he's never looked so at peace as well.

"Are the eggs still fine?" I hadn't noticed that he had regained consciousness. Typical Tony, though. He was never really someone who wanted to be the center of attention. Sure he's loud and had tendencies of being obnoxious at times, especially when we're with friends, but he hates the limelight.

"Eggs?"

He smiled sheepishly, "The groceries."

I seemed to recall seeing grocery bags from behind his truck, but with my reckless driving, I wasn't sure if it remained intact. I broke into a smile, "I'll buy you a new one, just in case."

A light chuckle escaped from his lips.

There was a moment of silence between us, and I took that time to lean back on a nearby side table.

"Hey…" he whispered.

"Hi."

I was already by his side when he started to sit upright. "You need to rest," I urged, gently pushing back into a lying position.

Grunting, he agreed and succumbed into the bed's embrace. "Theo…" he stared at the ceiling, "What… happened? What was that… _thing_… that attacked me?"

That question opened the dam. I told Tony everything; from the first time I met Daphne, our adventure six months ago, and the thing that had attacked me earlier.

I didn't expect him to believe me, but it felt good. To share these things made the weight of knowing such things easier to bear. It was a slow process, and he didn't believe it at first – which was expected – but he slowly got there. Actually, being inside an Egyptian infirmary with glass cupboards full of weird looking things and ingredients. Oh and there's also these glowing hieroglyphs in the walls. Lucas said that the Mist here had been manipulated such that only those who could see through it could see it: to any normal person, this looked like a library, but to someone like me, apparently, you'd see that the walls of the building had these weird graffiti like draws. I asked if he could see them, and Tony told me that he could see faint traces and not as clearly as I can.

At one point, I had to call for Lucas because Tony felt a sudden pang in his head. I was gripping his arm, the uninjured one, with a vice-like grip that my hands turned white when Lucas was checking for any lingering side effects. To be honest, it also help in making Tony understand the situation since Lucas was using a levitating bunch of statuettes of animal-headed people to… er… check his vitals? I don't know what he's doing, but I'm guessing something pretty important.

"I need to ask you, Theo." The face of Lucas was solemn. He had just finished applying some orange paste on his forehead, which made Tony look like someone who had too much spray tan. "Can you describe the monster that had attacked your friend here?"

I looked at him like he was speaking in some really foreign language, "I told you, it was a Chimera. The snake end of it bit Tony."

"But that's just the thing, Theodore. You see, a Chimera's bite, especially that of the snake head, is a one-way trip to a psychotic break." Lucas was using my mom's terms. I knew that he knew that I understand these concepts a little bit more. But…

"So, you're saying…"

Tony turned to me, "What? Theo? What did he mean?"

The eldest in the room started organizing the trinkets he had used, "I mean, since you've been bitten more than thirty minutes ago, you should be way deep into happy town by now, Tony." He placed a few bottles and beakers of various colored liquids in a cupboard before turning to me, "You see, any person being bitten by the snake end of a Chimera loses his sanity _then_ dies from the venom. I managed to extract the venom, a rare feat already, but almost all cases, the patient exhibited deterioration of their psyche."

"B-But…" Tony and I were floored, Tony more so than me, "That's not possible… I am still me. I mean, I'm not crazy."

"Which proves the point that it probably _wasn't_ a Chimera that attacked you. Theodore, there hasn't been a documented account of any human's sanity staying intact after being purged of the venom." He had grabbed a leather notebook that was on the table and opened it, "And you're friend here, if it was a Chimera that attacked him, would be the first one ever to prove immunity of the venom's side effects."

"So what was it that attacked my friend?" I asked. Tony wanted to ask the same question but I bit him too it.

Lucas had begun writing furiously on the notebook, probably the record of Tony's treatment to far. "I don't know, Theodore. But we can start with you describing what the monster looked like."

Taking a deep breath, I told him every detail I can remember that the monster had. From its brown, almost shiny, horse body, to the three heads, the lion paws it had for its feet, and the cobra-like snake tail. I even told him that each head was capable of puking out acid, ice and fire. All the while, I never lost sight at Lucas writing furiously on the log notebook.

"…eagle head spits acid. How tall was it? Was it smart? Did it look like it had a conscience?" He started asking me all this questions. And I didn't get to answer much of them.

"Why are you asking all this?"

It was then that he looked up, the first time since he had started writing in his notebook. "You may have had an encounter to an undocumented creature. And I think this need to be reported to the 1st Nome." Lucas looked at me and Tony, "Weird things are happening lately; from mortals reporting monster sightings, reemerging once-extinct creatures, and the general movement among advanced monsters are just the tip of the iceberg." He moved to a scrollshelf, and brought out a new looking one. He unrolled one, and started reading its contents. "There's an incident in the 157th Nome, that a Lamia was spotted living near a daycare. It was messy, but they managed to banish it."

"A Lamia?" I had to google that later.

Lucas nodded seriously, "and the 261th Nome, where the scribes there fought and narrowly survived against a herd of lindworms destroying a small village." He then set out other more incidents and I noticed that a couple of those incidents were a group of Egyptian magicians fighting against monster not from their pantheon.

"What's this got to do with…" Lucas interrupted me saying, "Theo, there hasn't been a record of such incidents not since the golden age of _ancient_ Egypt. The last documented report being 2500 years ago. I mean, generally, monsters tend to stay away from Per Ankh scribes and nearby Nomes, most especially the ones that are of different pantheons. But this time… the way how they seemed to be spontaneously appearing, not fearing the power we hold, it's like… someone's pulling the strings. I just know it."

Lucas looked at us, and shook his head, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said such things. He rolled the papyrus and placed it back into the shelf, "Anyway, Tony, would you mind staying here for the night? I would like to keep you for observation." Despite the fact that he was in some tack bark-looking flip flops, some khaki brown shorts, and paint covered blue shirt, he had that leader-esque air, and I just felt like agree with him.

Tony, however, was hesitatingly silent.

"It'd like to make sure that the poison has been purged from your body." Lucas explained.

.

"But what about my parents?"

.

* * *

I had to drive back to Tony's house to give their groceries with some lame story that Tony was busy with something. I even helped put them in the shelves and stuff. Of course, Tony's mom threw a fit at his son's rudeness by not coming home himself to do what I was doing, but I just told her that it was no big deal. Besides, at that time, Tony needed all the time he can to recuperate. Good thing we had called his house first and lied to Tony's mom that he was staying over at my house for the night. I felt really guilty for lying to, especially since she was one of the nicest women in town.

When I did get back to Lucas' Nome, he had pulled me into another room; one room beneath (I think) the room Tony was in. In it was a jar, filled with… something… I looked at it, and I just realized that I wasn't staring at my reflection. I was looking at Amos Kane's face.

"Mr. Kane!" It was weird, talking through a jar filled with some oily substance. But then again, I've never really had a video/webcam chat before. Yeah, a teenage at my age that's never done technological stuff like that before. I'm weird like that.

Lucas chuckled, apparently founding my reaction funny. "Theo, I was just telling Amos about your incident."

"Why?" I asked him, "Wait, is this about Tony? About him being the first to survive the Chimera snake bite?"

"In a way, yes," Amos said, the gooey liquid ripping as he talked, "What weapon did you use? Did conventional weapons work?" The scene where I couldn't pick up Dionysus' pen came to mind. About Celestial Bronze and monster being weak against it.

"I used the bracelet." I told him, raising the arm that had it. I was careful not to divulge it being from Daphne to Lucas. I trust him, but not with Daphne's secrets.

Amos nodded, not really saying anything as well. It earned the curious look of Lucas, but he chose to not say anything. Some other voice came from the other line, one that I couldn't decipher, and Amos excused himself for a moment, said something I couldn't understand (probably something in Egyptian), and turned his attention back to us, "I'm sorry, it's been pretty hectic here since the previous Lector's passing."

Lucas and Amos chatted for a bit; about inter-Nome politics, Amos' immediate ascension as Chief Lector (it's the Per Ankh's super boss title), and how Carter became the head of his Nome in Brooklyn.

Speaking of the Nome there, "How's Daphne?" I blurted out when there was a pause in their conversation, "Did she manage to get back to Camp Half-Blood?"

The old man's expression shifted, "I'm sorry to say this Theo: I don't know her current whereabouts."

"Why? I mean, she _did_ leave with Katie and Travis, right? How are they by the way? Aren't they at the camp?"

He shook his head, "She chose to stay behind." I probably gave off a look that said, 'well? Elaborate!' which, in turn, made Amos chuckle, "She chose to stay because she didn't want to risk attracting any more attention. Especially since she was so sure that the ones that had attacked you back then were still after her. I've received a rainbow message," Lucas and I looked at him weirdly, "It's like scrying." He explained. Lucas got it but I didn't, but the specifics didn't really matter to me, "As I was saying, I received a rainbow message telling me that Travis and Katie got back safely. Daphne stayed in the Nome for a couple of days, and then she decided to leave. And no, she didn't tell us where she was headed."

There was some more noise on Amos' end of the line, and he suddenly had to go. We exchanged our goodbyes and whatnot and before long, I was staring at our reflections.

It was pretty hectic, but everything calmed down after a few hours. This would be the first time I would introduce my best friend to the world where I was dragged into. I didn't want him to know this world so I made sure to never introduce Lucas and Tony; I wanted to separate my life to that of gods and goddesses. But that night, I had to formally introduce Tony to Lucas, the Egyptian magician. Oh he knew Lucas alright, but not _as _a scribe of the Per Ankh.

Anyway, after dinner, and also introducing Lucas' parents to Tony, parents who were also scribes, we stayed up all night playing video games. Lucas had more games that Tony and I combined so we didn't get bored. Also, it was a good maneuver since Lucas had to check and redress Tony's injury every two hours. I noticed that Tony's wound, whenever he would reapply bandages, was no longer swelling. It had a cool scar now, too; unlike two puncture lesions like any normal snake bite, it had morphed into this intricate tribal-like tattoo design for the skin surrounding it had blackened, resembling that of the ink used in tattoos.

"How am I going to explain this to my parents?" Tony whined as he checked on it.

I grinned, "Just tell them you got a tattoo without ever being under the needle."

Fortunately, Lucas was able to figure out that the blackened skin wasn't, like, rotten or disease-ridden, and that he'll see if he could do something about it.

When Tony was busy playing by himself and I saw Lucas leave the room, I excused myself and followed Lucas. He went to their fully stocked pantry and brought out more chips, I cornered him there.

"I need to ask you something."

He looked at me, "What is it?"

"Could you teach me how to fight?"

"Aren't you already leaning how to fight?"

I shook my head, "I know, I mean, I… I want to learn how to defend myself." Staring seriously into his eyes, I wanted to let him know that I was very serious.

.

"I want to learn _**magic**_."

.

* * *

DISCLAIMER:** The following is a work of FICTION**

**The events, characters and names are fictional and/or derived from real mythology**

**and the Percy Jackson and Kane Chronicles series are owned by Rick Riordan**

**By writing this fanfic, no offense in intended to anyone**

* * *

**NOTES:** Two chapters, that's why it takes marginally longer between my updates. Theo's chapters will be longer than Daphne's, well not until they'd meet again, **IF** they meet again. That's because Theo's the main character, the focus is on him :D thanks for all the comments everyone!


	15. Daphne: Chapter 15

Title: _**My Hard to Believe Mythological Experience**_

Chapter 15: my first einherjar

* * *

To be an _**Einherjar**_

a hero must die a most _noble_ and selfless death.

A _**valkyrie**_ chooses her _**einherjar**_

but what happens when her current incarnation is _incomplete_?

* * *

"Look out!" Michael Yew yelled, pointing at something from my back.

It was then that Gold took over my body. She quickly unsheathed the _sappara_ that was attached to my hip. It's a good thing she could manipulate the mist, because the sword's odd shape alone – not mention being held by a 15 year-old me – would be enough to attract attention. I tell you, it's kind of weird that I can feel my own body moving without my brain telling it to. Having your body hijacked when you're conscious is one of the weirdest things you'll ever feel. It wasn't a good feeling, but it wasn't a bad feeling either.

"- Cu Siths? -" Gold asked.

Cu Siths? Is that what those are? It was a pack of green-furred dogs. Or wolves. They were comparable to cows in size but marginally faster than one. There were at least a dozen of them, and I'm finding it hard to believe that they could fit through the small pedestrian corner of the bridge. There was a man in between the pack of dogs. Actually, he doesn't look like a man. He was… erm… how do I say this. I'm just gonna say it he looked like…

.

" – _a Lycan._ – "

.

A what? I asked Gold. Currently, we were running away from them, but towards the middle of the bridge. I don't know anything about strategic fighting but I think that wasn't a good thing – going towards the center of a bridge, constraining yourself even more but alas, we were forced to do so. It's almost as if–

Gold chanced to look back, and I saw that the Cu Siths were light-footed because a couple of them started to run against the flow of the traffic, a few of them trampling over cars without ever denting them. The Lycan looked like he was (literally) barking out orders to the Cu Siths. Anyway, as Gold said, the Lycan or the werewolf was leading them.

.

" – _No, Daphne, werewolves are creatures cursed by the moon. __**Lycans**__, however, have the ability to walk and morph during the day._ – "

.

Even with a celestial being sharing the same body as me, weren't as physical exceptional as one. We had stopped at some point because it felt like my legs would give out. Gold, being too exhausted, had given back the reigns of my body to me again, and I soon felt all of the exhaustion.

There was a good 30-40 meter gap when Gold started to run, but it was only a matter of time before they could catch up on us. There was a bark in front of us. I looked up and I gasped. Oh no…

.

" – _a pincer attack._ – "

.

From both sides, they were after me on both sides of the bridge.

.

" – _a commendable strategy._ – "

.

"I don't think this is a good idea to compliment the enemy, Gold." I breathed out. She once again hijacked my body and raised the _sappara_ in a defensive stance.

If and why they were after us, I don't know, but I trust Gold's judgment on this.

_You think you could best 25 of those things and a werewolf? _I recognized the voice. It was Michael.

_Not a werewolf_, Gold's voice was inside our heads, and I was pretty sure he heard that because he smirked.

"- We could use your assistance. -" Gold voiced through me.

_What happened to 'rest in peace' then?_ Though I can tell that he wasn't angry or bother by what Gold had said.

"- I can tell that you're just dying to let an arrow loose. -" and I just know that Gold was smirking when she said this.

_Okay, I am not against all that playful banter and all but am I the only one bothered by the fact that a pack of green dogs are chasing us?_

_True that._ Michael agreed with a chuckle. The young man then appeared before us, sitting cross-legged, his bow in his hand, translucent as ever.

.

"I pledge allegiance to her lady Valkyrie."

.

There was a moment, I felt it. Something came into my body, my very being and I felt…_ more_. Then as quickly as it came, it was gone. But I could see that there was something flowing out of me. _Particles_, my essences, were coming out of me and was pooling into this mass in front of me.

"- To my side, my noble einherjar." The mass started to take shape, morphing into a humanoid body. Then, suddenly, Michael Yew was opaque… and corporeal… and real! In front of me!

In his hand, his intricate bow. He reached from behind, "I don't have my quiver or my arrows."

"- That wouldn't be a problem. Reach forward and concentrate. Imagine the arrow, the feel of it, what it looks like, what it's supposed to do." He did and suddenly, an arrow had formed in front of him. It floated in midair before Michael grabbed it. "That's cool."

"- Perks of being an einherjar. -" Gold said. "- The number of arrows any archer class einherjar a Valkyrie has is directly proportional to his strength and spirit. –"

He nodded and readied a shot. "May I?"

Gold nodded.

Michael let loose an arrow, and it hit a Cu Sith from a far. I think dead on its right eye. It whined in pain before popping into a pile of dust.

"Hm… I wonder." Michael concentrated again, and an arrow formed again. This time, it was bulkier looking. He grabbed it, readied it on his bow, pointed it a little bit higher, and let it loose. It shot into an arc, and when it started to descend, it exploded into a rain of smaller arrows. It hit a couple of monsters. Good thing that there weren't a lot of people around. Gold then explained that the presence of Cu Siths could bring fear to even the most battle hardened warriors. And at a number this much, people would feel so dreadful that they'd avoid the place. I wonder if the people driving the cars nearby felt uncomfortable enough.

Anyway, Michael summoned another of his bulky arrows and sent it flying through the air. Gold and I were then impressed as we saw the injured dogs turn into dust.

"Apparently limited by my imagination." Michael said, "Would a plasma-based arrow work?" he concentrated, and concentrated, but nothing happened. "Maybe limited to arrow's I've used before?" he materialized another arrow; this time an arrow that had a small glass sphere filled with red liquid for an arrowhead. He let it loose, and it hit another Cu Sith. This time, as it contacted the green mammoth of a dog, it burst into flames.

As Michael Yew took care of one side of the pincer attack, Gold slowly walked towards the other. The side where the Lycan's was located. Sword, poised ready, she looked at them with a newfound seriousness that I've only seen whenever monsters had attacked me in the past.

* * *

In the end, Gold and Michael managed to get through the event unscathed. Well, I'm exaggerating; I mean without any lasting injuries. And Michael did fade away after the battle. But its okay, his spirit is resting in me now. Well, in the body Gold and I shared. It's weird and I don't want to talk about having another voice – this time a male's – inside my head. Plus, he's nosier, invading my thoughts and all that.

It turns out, when an einherjar has completely exhausted himself, they fade back into the vessel that is their Valkyrie. Also just being outside of my body is enough of a strain to their spirit. But Gold tells them it's a training process meant to err… how did she say it? 'Temper the metal into refined steel' so most of the time, Michael is outside of my body. Which is good, because he sounds like a perv inside my head.

The Lycan we faced was the first of many other attacks to me. I had – no, Gold had a bit of chat with the Lycan. The underworld issued a bounty for my head. Dead or alive? Probably, but Gold tells me that they wouldn't really care if I was alive or not. It's the _underworld, _if I die, then I'll just get delivered to those who wanted me – that's the easier way too. The Lycan didn't tell us who wanted us there, but Gold knew well enough that a lot of her previous enemies were there so it wouldn't be any surprise if one of them was the one who posted the bounty.

Since we were targeted by the underworld, we were always on the move, never staying in one place in an extended period of time. Gold said that it'll be better if we go to some place safe. I don't know where that is, but Gold said that I had to go north. Thus, why we were travelling.

Along the way, Gold and I managed to find a couple more einherjars, but I'm saving that for another time.

Anyway, this has been me in a nutshell; well, a nutshell between the past six months after I'd encountered Theo.

* * *

DISCLAIMER:** The following is a work of FICTION**

**The events, characters and names are fictional and/or derived from real mythology**

**and the Percy Jackson and Kane Chronicles series are owned by Rick Riordan**

**By writing this fanfic, no offense in intended to anyone**

* * *

**NOTES:** so, yeah, this chapter is short. And yes, I am CLEARLY quoting my favorite game, Valkyrie Profile, if you haven't noticed. I love that game, I'm gonna incorporate some of their concepts in to this story. Actually I already have; the 'Sovereign's Rite' was from there. Anyway, **I am now open to OC suggestions.**_ At least_ ones that are viable to be Daphne's einherjar. I've created a bunch of other characters but I feel like it's not enough, so I am now opening an 'submit your character' thingy. If you're interested, visit my author page. :D


	16. Theodore: Chapter 16

Title: _**My Hard to Believe Mythological Experience**_

Chapter 16: Magic? Really?

* * *

To be an _**Einherjar**_

a hero must die a most _noble_ and selfless death.

A _**valkyrie**_ chooses her _**einherjar**_

but what happens when her current incarnation is _incomplete_?

* * *

It took me some time to convince Lucas, but a few days (and few hours of nagging) later, he relented.

A week has passed, and it's now officially my summer vacation. I have relegated myself to learning, which, by definition, should suck. But in this case, it didn't. I wasn't learning science and math, I was going to learn _magic_. (for the record though, I do like my science subjects)

The following day after the events of the monster attack, Lucas just about concluded that Tony was now fine. Not 100% fine, but fine enough that he was releasing my friend back to the world. Of course, with the advice that he should take the next couple of days carefully. That meant no strenuous activities. Which, in turn, meant that we had to come up with this big excuse so my mom and Tony's parents wouldn't be suspicious. No worries, I just told them that we had to finish three book reports in that week. Sort of like the school's last stand before everyone else would go and do whatever summer related stuff they've planned.

I'm getting into the shallow stuff again. magic. learning. FOCUS.

Lucas told me that, traditionally, I had to go to the 1st Nome in order to learn the Path of Magic. But since I had exceeded the minimum age requirement (apparently all trainees _must_ be below thirteen) Lucas just decided to tutor me himself. I also forgot to mention that the 1st Nome is situated in Egypt. Yeah, an entirely different continent, so naturally, it was a huge 'no-no.'

While we're at it, Lucas actually considered sending me to Carter Kane's Nome. It was in New York, which is essentially closer than Egypt. But there were many things happening right now that made Lucas lean towards him tutoring me himself; first was the fact that Carter Kane and his comrades studied the Path of the Gods, a branch of magic that's totally forbidden by those of the Per Ankh. Lucas is pretty open to that type of magic, but he can't even declare himself neutral in the Kane siblings' reforms because of inter-Nome politics – particularly in the form of one Sarah Jacobi. If I did learn it, there was a 4 out of 5 chance that my body wouldn't handle that type of magic and I'd burn my very being up (I don't know if Lucas mean it literally or metaphorically, but I sure as hell didn't want to find out). Also, while New York was closer, how would I be able to explain to my mom that I'm going to New York to learn magic? It's not like I could teleport everyday between my hometown and Carter's Nome every single appointment, right?

The whole House of Life business was messy enough on its own lately; the Kane siblings going up against Apophis, Sarah Jacobi pushing Lucas to betray the Kanes, the Nomes fighting against one another, and add me – someone like _me_ – who's aspiring to learn magic for self-defense. Lucas didn't want me to be dragged into the mess, so if I was to learn, then he, being the more experienced and knowledgeable person between us two, should be there calling the shots and watching me in this attempt.

So, to sum it all up; the Kane siblings are needed for more important matters, I am insignificant, and me going into the Kane sibling's business would probably result into a huge disaster. It was unfortunate, but I couldn't help but agree: even if I wanted to help, what can I do? The best thing I could do to is to stay clear of their way and not drag them down, right?

In any case, Lucas and I decided that our cover for this tutor gig was me working part-time in their library… which took some convincing to both Mom and Tony. I _did_ actually get employed there, like, I had to give my resume and get interviewed and stuff, which isn't a big deal since that way I get to earn some money (and get to pay for the bus fare all on my own) as a helper there. So twice a week, every week, I was at the 87th Nome.

* * *

That Friday, after my shift, I was eagerly waiting for Lucas in a room in their basement. This was the only place where he could teach me in peace. With the whole building being a 3-storey building, the first and second levels being the library and the third floor being the residence of Lucas' family, this was our only option. Besides, Lucas once said that most of the Per Ankh dealings were done here.

To tell you the truth, I'm very excited about this. Who wouldn't be anyway? I can now imagine what Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter series felt like when… sorry, I was starting to ramble there.

First, Lucas made me taste this glass full of great tasting water. And I mean, _great_ tasting water. He then handed me this box full of stuff. I recognized some of its contents like the small statues called 'shabti', a few amulets, some ball of wax (or playdo, I wasn't sure) and some blank rolls of paper. The amount of stuff inside the box that I _didn't_ know, though, was a lot. There was a boomerang with intricate carvings on it, some jar filled with ashes (or dark sand), and a lot of other things placed in small transparent glass jars. He also gave me my first staff, which is just some ordinary-looking piece of wood.

He told me that these things were now my things. He then walked to one of the cupboards in the room and brought out a fine-tipped brush and a bottle of blue ink.

"First of," he stuck out his tongue and pointed at a small blue tattoo, "Dush ish…" he tried to say with his tongue out. Then, he realized his mistake and stuck his tongue back in, "That was Ma'at, the symbol of Order and Harmony. It's supposed to help you in speaking clearly."

"You have it tattooed on your tongue?" I asked.

He shrugged, "I had too, I _am_ the head of a Nome. Anyway, I'm going to do it to you too."

I just had to grin, my first tattoo and it's a necessity, "Is it permanent?"

"It's a lifestyle choice, but since I don't want to face the wrath of your mom, it'll only be temporary." He dipped the brush into the ink bottle, "Now, open wide and say 'ahh'."

Whether or not it works, one thing's for sure, the blue ink tasted awful. Worse than liver and onions. Something that's bitter, sour, slimy and sandy all at the same time.

After that, it got confusing. Confusing because everything he spoke about magic, from how it works, to how it does its thing is completely different from what I learned from school. I mean, since at school, we've been taught that science was fact. But then Lucas goes to me and tells me that, while the sciences were true, they were also not true. _At the same time_. Like they were both real and fictional at the same time. How the sun is a really big mass of hot gasses, while at the same time, being the manifestation of Ra. How the earth was both round and flat at the same time.

Actually, Lucas and I really got into the specifics, getting all intellectual about it. We literally spent the entire first session – my first session in learning magic – talking about the universe. Him both affirming and debunking the world and the universe, and me asking about and rebuking everything that he talked about. He was pretty good at teaching me stuff too, once you get past all of the 'bro's and 'dude's, and his hippie-airhead vibe.

I know, I'm so nerdy, but who cares? It was fun. I didn't even expect it to _be_ fun. But then, talking about these things with Lucas, I didn't realize that it was already getting late.

"Wow," I said after Lucas decided to call it a day. I stretched my aching body, after spending four hours in the same position. The table before me had unrolled papyrus all over it. Lucas had brought them out as references and he'd read them to me because I didn't understand hieroglyphics.

Since I was learning magic, learning being the keyword here, I have decided that I should take down notes. Yeah, yeah, I was treating this like school, but I know this is going to help me. This is how I learn. It's not like I could learn, understand or memorize everything Lucas was dumping on me just by listening. And yes, this, the careful organization of jotting down notes, is what I think I'm very good at. I'm not trying to brag but I'm very meticulous and orderly when I'm learning and writing information. It also doesn't hurt that my handwriting's pretty neat and legible too. Besides, Lucas doesn't seem to mind, so I guess I must be doing something right.

Admiring the things I've written for a moment, I noticed the young man looking at me.

"Something wrong?"

He shook his head, "No, just… Do you believe in everything I just said?" About the world being both real and unreal, he probably meant.

I placed my notebook down, "I don't know what–"

Lucas sighed, "Do you believe that this world, our world, is the same world as those of the gods?"

"What's this got to do with magic?" I admit I could easily answer 'yes' or 'no', but somehow, this felt like… a test. And I knew he could sniff out the truth from my eventual answer, so I had to be certain.

He stared at me, "Everything." He started to roll the scrolls of paper one by one, "How could you command the Cosmos if you didn't believe it was possible?"

I knit my brows, more confused than before, "Of course. I do understand. That's what we have been doing for the last few hours, right?"

My answer seemed to have disappointed him. But he chose to not tell. Instead he asked me another question.

.

"Theo, do you even _believe_ in magic?"

.

* * *

Lucas let me ponder on my answer until after our next session. I, naturally, started to over-analyze, thinking that there must be a catch on what he was asking. Like the secret password to the cool kids' club when we were little. I'm more than aware that I'm over-thinking it, but no matter how much I thought about it, all I knew is that I had to answer that question. And actually mean it. I don't know why but the more I rationalize, the more it seemed that at the moment, I never really believed it 100%. You know, like blind faith. Even if there was undeniable proof, and I had seen it in my own eyes. It felt as if I was just… humoring them. Humoring the gods.

I was on my way home after having been dropped off at the bus terminal from Lucas' town to mine. I wasn't really paying attention to where I was going until I realized that I had stopped in front of an antique shop.

I never knew such an antique shop was located two blocks from my home, and I knew the neighborhood (_my_ neighborhood) pretty well. It looked like any other antique shop; the old smell of the place, the stuffy air, the 'post-modern' hipsters ogling at crap, all the things you'd expect from an antique shop these days. But… there was something off about. Like the allure of a crackling flame, or the lingering scent of a girl's perfume.

I wanted to enter, but the feeling was unsettling, no matter how much my mind was telling me I should enter. My fear outweighed my curiosity so I turned on my heels and went straight home.

By dinnertime, mom and I were chowing down on some Chinese takeout in front of the television. Mom would sometimes be lazy in cooking, and my expertise in the art of food is less than tolerable (I can, however, make a mean omelet) so we'd usually get takeout if it happens.

"Any plans for summer?" she asked. It was her subtle way of telling me, 'God, your summer vacation is boring.'

"Well, Tony's busy since he's got a couple of relatives staying over at their house, and most of my friends are all either vacationing with their family or just as unproductively bored as I am." I used my chopsticks to pick up the spring rolls from her carton of fried rice. "And, no, I don't really have plans to go to the beach or some other place. I like working at the library, ma." Of course, she probably didn't know that the main reason why I find it enjoyable was because I was learning magic.

I took one fried dumpling on the table before me, "By the way, did you know there's a new antique shop by the bakery?

Mom nodded, "I have their flyer." She indicated at the piece of paper lying at the table. I picked it up and read the bold letters out loud,

.

"Grand opening of the 'Vala's Distaff'

Come and visit the new antique shop filled with Artefacts long forgotten  
We buy, fix and sell anything tested by time itself

Hurry! We offer a special discount to the first 70 customers!"

.

It looked really awkward too, even if it the design of the flyer was nice. It had a collage of high resolution pictures of the antiques they have on display. But there was something about it that draws me… maybe I should go take a look? Tomorrow, a Saturday. Maybe after my lessons with Lucas tomorrow?

That was my last thought before I went to sleep at night.

* * *

"So what now, brother?" A female voice asked.

"We have to get out of here. I worry because I can feel my power is becoming far too great." The deep, raspy voice of a male said.

I heard the rattles of a chain. It wasn't that I can't see them, it was just unbelievably dark.

"Yes," the woman agreed, "I do feel it. We're growing abnormally stronger. If this continues…"

"We can probably break free on our own but it may be too late."

"Just what is he playing at?" The two sounded defeated. But strangely, defiant.

* * *

"How long have I been away from the mortal realm?" I had blinked and I was immediately floating above a slender woman with… butterfly wings (made from light) sprouting from her back.

In front of her, a silver-haired man in a dark-blue tux was walking ahead of her. He had an annoyingly hideous rainbow-stripped necktie. "The realm of the gods," he turned to her, "excuse me, I mean, the time here at this realm is severely slowed down. For all we know it could've been months now in Midgard."

The floor they stepped on was made from pavement. Their surroundings, a serene and scenic view that could easily dwarf the majesty of Camp Half-Blood. And that's saying something. The sky was blue and cloudless, shining brightly that I had to shield my eyes because my eyes started tearing up as I stared up. The air smelled fresh, like the rain had just passed. Frankly, I'm surprised I can smell stuff. Isn't that, like, an impossibility in dreaming?

"Why is that?" the girl asked, watching bird flutter above them. She didn't seem to see me floating above her, only caring for the animal flying beside me.

"For Ragnarok." The man stuck like a sore thumb in the scenery. Oh, he looked cool, alright, but he looked like an executive businessman lost in a garden in that attire of his. At least the woman looked like the woman from a scenic painting. "At least, that's what I've always been told."

She nodded, "I hope I am not too late then."

* * *

By 5PM the next day, after I drank the tasty water and having the Ma'at symbol painted on my tongue, I was getting pretty convinced that I am finally gonna have a hands-on experience in magic. Especially since Lucas also drank the water.

Lucas first introduced me to ink and papyrus. He taught me magic though drawing. I didn't know how to draw per se, so I drew a tree. It was just two parallel lines with a squiggly line on top.

I stared at it before it dissolved in the papyrus.

"What happened?" I asked in awe.

Lucas shrugged, "Try drawing something else, like a bird or a sword."

"Why?"

"Just try it." He urged.

I did. I drew a bird thinking of this fancy bird hieroglyph that I saw once on Amos' Nome. Not too fancy, actually I drew it as skillfully as a 4-year old, but it still looked like a bird.

Nothing happened at first, then, the picture started to move a bit. I don't know how to describe it, but, I think it got three dimensional. But just when it was about to pop off of the paper, it collapsed back into the paper and faded away.

"Cool." I muttered. "But what just happened?"

"You just successfully summoned a distorted bird from the Ma'at – the universe's creative power." Lucas stopped because I raised my hand.

"Is Ma'at a god or a place?"

Lucas looked at me weirdly, "That's a good question, I suppose. I don't know how to answer that fully, but dude, I can give you a simpler explanation: Ma'at is an unseen and ever-present force in the universe."

He went into a nearby scrollshelf and brought out a few scrolls. He scattered them all around the table and read one passage from one out, "See, the Egyptian word 'shesh' could both mean a 'scribe' – that's 'writer' in layman's terms bro – as well as a 'magician.'" He drew a knife on a blank papyrus, muttered the word 'butterknife' and the next thing I knew, there's a butterknife in the desk, "This is because, magic, in what I consider its most basic sense, is the act of realizing words."

"So that's why my bird drawing almost turned to life," I was once again writing these things down into my notebook, "because I was forcing something to appear in thin air by pulling it out from the Ma'at." I looked up, "Question, does it only happen when I write it?"

"Dude, unless you're a godling-class magician, or from the ancestry of a very powerful pharaoh or court magician then no." He rested his elbows on the table place his head on his hands, "Tell me, what were you thinking when you wrote that bird?"

"I was thinking about those bird-like hieroglyphs that I saw on Amos' Nome." I told him.

"Exactly my point: if you think it, really seriously, and you have a clear grasp of it as you write it down, you could theoretically summon just about any Ma'at type anything after saying the corresponding word."

"Is it possible for me to summon stuff using my pencil and my notebook?" I asked flipping to another page and drawing another bird in the corner. Nothing happened, it didn't even fade. It was really just a drawing.

"Again, unless you're really powerful, then no. Too much conflicting elements." He then described a couple of them. The thing that stuck by me the most is the part where my notebook's paper being unrefined paper, something about the paper having impurities such as plastic or animal parts. "It is also probably because you didn't have any clear purpose. Magic is also about intent. Why you're casting magic in the first place. Makes sense, right?"

I nodded.

"Powerful magicians could summon anything with just an uttered word, bypassing writing altogether."

"So, to be more precise, magic is the turning of thoughts into reality by saying words."

He nodded, "For us humans, in order to unleash magic, we have to write it down_ then_ verbally say it. Unless we're going with Divine Words."

"Divine Words?" I asked.

Lucas drew something again in the papyrus, a hieroglyph; it looks like, and muttered its Egyptian word. The hieroglyph glowed, vanished and when I blinked there was a sappara in the table.

"Wow!" I was thoroughly impressed.

"That wasn't Divine Words, actually." I deflated a bit, "In all essences, using the Divine Words wouldn't necessitate the use of papyrus or other equipment, such as amulets, shabti, potions, and statues. So, if you get my drift, a person capable of using it need only speak that word before they realize it. I could do it, but it will drain me of my energy, and I'd just pass out." I perked up at what he said next, "You know, Sadie Kane, right?" I nodded, "She's one of the few remaining magicians today who could do it with relative ease. And multiple times too. Especially back when she was hosting Isis."

"Really?" I somehow got the idea that doing it once was a feat on itself, and since Sadie was able to do it a couple of times successively is an even bigger feat.

He nodded.

"Wow." I looked at him, "wait, what do you mean hosting Isis?"

"It's not my place to tell, but I'll just tell you she is a really powerful magician. Same with her brother. With practice and experience, they could be as powerful as a Chief Lector."

I let out a low whistle. Kinda reinforces my impression of them being in a league on their own from when I last saw them. Grasping the sword in my hand, I asked, "Back to magic, does it have to be hieroglyphs then? And do I have to learn how to speak Egyptian?"

"Not really, any language would work, but to us scribes, it is highly effective if we use hieroglyphs and our Egyptian roots." As if he could read my mind, "And no, you won't need to learn a new language, I'll just teach you all the hieroglyphs and the words that you need to know." Good because I barely passed my Spanish class with a good mark, and that's even with my new-found academic fervor.

"So magic is more potent if I speak it in Ancient Egyptian?"

He nodded, "It is after all one of the oldest languages in the world. The language is even said to be very close to Original Language, the language spoken and recognized by the entire universe."

I didn't know what Original Language meant, but I thought about something, "I came from the Greek demigod camp, and there was a demigod from Hecate's cabin."

"Cabin?"

I then explained it to him. "...so back to Hecate's child, I saw that she could do fine without using Ancient Egyptian, she doesn't even write it too. She just says it, in either English or Ancient Greek, before things start to happening."

Lucas' brow rose, "Really? Well that's probably because that person 's essesnce comprises of the personified version of magic. At least in Greek terms."

"I don't get it."

He chuckled, "I any case, for us scribes," I like that he used 'us' instead of refer to just himself but it strangely felt_ off_ with me, "hieroglyphs are used for optimization because of us being affiliated to Ma'at."

He let me practice on that branch of magic for a couple of minutes. But most of my hieroglyphs kept on vanishing, even after saying it correctly in Egyptian. I figured this was like Hermione Granger's _Wingardium Leviosa_, that I was pronouncing it wrong, but Lucas just tells me to keep on practicing.

"I don't know what I'm doing wrong…" I muttered, out of breath, after my umpteenth hieroglyph vanished from the papyrus.

"Just-" Lucas said, before I cut him in, "keep on practicing, I know."

I drew another hieroglyph, it was the hieroglyph of the word _N'dah,_ a protection spell. It consisted of three characters, and I drew it as close as the one shown in the reference scroll. "N'dah!" I said again, and as always, the hieroglyphs glowed faintly before it vanished back into the papyrus.

I groaned.

"Hm…" Lucas was looking at me, "Maybe this isn't you're specialty?"

I looked at him, hate evident on my eyes, "You think?" I shot back snappily.

He chuckled before going into the one of the cupboards, "Well, it is your first time, so I'm sure you'll get there. One day."

"Why… am I… so… tired…" I said in between heavy gasps, I flopped back into my seat and leaned into its back rest. Not only am I tired, but I'm hungry too. Very hungry. Considering I just ate a fulfilling lunch an hour ago.

"You're using magic that is present within you. Actually, you're forcing the magic that's within you to command the Cosmos. Of course you'll be tired, Theo."

"I don't need you to be condescending about it." I gasped.

He laughed before getting back to the table with a book this time. He didn't open it because he heard my stomach growl, "Bro, why don't we take a break?"

* * *

"Do you believe in magic now?" Lucas asked out of the blue as we were munching on sandwiches on the library's mini-café. Our conversation about Japanese role-playing games clearly forgotten.

"Yes." I replied with a bit of uncertainty, "Why?"

He looked at me seriously, like he was looking into my soul, before shaking his head, "No… not yet. You're not yet sure."

He didn't say anything after that because he brought out a new topic.

* * *

I had passed the antique shop again on my way home from my magic lessons.

We spent the entire time learning what branch of magic I was good at after our break. Lucas thought I was an elementalist, so he had me test my proficiency on the elements. So far, I've been tested as incompatible on three of the five elements, namely; fire, water and wind. The other two, earth and cheese (yes, I know, don't ask), I have yet to be tested. The good thing about it, is I had managed to summon my first flame (actually, it's just a few sparks) from my hand, I managed to be all Katara from _Avatar_ by being able to pull-and-push water from a small basin, though not as good a feat as compared to Lucas who actually _summoned_ water from nothing, and with wind? I completely suck at it.

My box of things was in my hand as stopped in front of the shop.

Lucas asked me to read the book from earlier and study it. It was a black leather-bound book. I didn't know what it's about because Lucas said I should just read it at home. Thoughts about studying magic at home was not on my mind as I stared at the shop's entrance.

"Should I?" It felt like I didn't have control over my body and mind because the next thing I knew, I was inside the house, the bell by the front door chiming as I entered.

There weren't a lot of people inside the place, not unlike yesterday; just some teenage hipsters fighting over some antique-looking bike, and an old couple staring at a row of neat-looking grandfather clocks.

"Hello, and welcome to–oh!" A young woman with steel grey eyes and sharp features approached me, "You're here." The thing about her that was striking was her straight, waist-length, blonde hair. It somehow told me that it was her prized possession because it looked very well-maintained. It was held together in a loose low ponytail, not a hair out of place. She had what appeared to be metal reading glasses on because the lenses weren't really thick.

She grabbed my box and said, "You're late."

Wha– "Excuse me?"

"You're here to learn magic, obviously, I mean look at this," she said poking through my things, "A ceremonial dagger, some molding clay, and some ink and papyrus."

"Uhm… those are…" I tried to get her attention but she seemed lost in her own ranting frenzy.

"We don't use papyrus though, not as temperamental as we want it, why is he learning kemetic magic in the first place? Why the Per Ankh anyway? Their potency in magic has been diluted ever since that old coot decided to abandon the gods."

Per Ankh? Gods? I suddenly had a bad feeling about this.

"Miss! Excuse me!" I yelled, moving to grab back my stuff.

She didn't do anything to stop me, and I did get my things back from her, "Thank you." I said just to be polite. "I don't know what you're talking about," I lied, "But I better get going."

The young woman, who looked no older than Lucas, chuckled, "Silly little child." She snapped her fingers and I felt my body go tense. Paralyzed on the spot. This was the time I started to panic. And what's worse, no one seemed to notice me, the old couple just passed me by and the teenagers were still arguing over the bike, and I was in a very uncomfortable position.

She walked to me, and for a second, saw my bracelet in my wrist. "This is…" she looked at me, "How did you…" she composed herself, "Well, it certainly looks like that dream god is up to something."

Dream god?

Walking around me, "Listen and listen well boy," she started, "Someone asked me, very nicely, mind you, that I teach you the way of _my_ magic."

I couldn't speak, couldn't move. So I just looked at her.

"A goddess never breaks a vow, so whether you like it or not, you will learn magic from me. I don't care if you're already learning another type of magic, because all I care about is fulfilling my oath. Are we clear?" she snapped her fingers, and I had control over my body then. I stood upright, contemplating whether to run or not.

"Are we clear?" she asked again, resting a hand on her hip. She was slender, wearing a white blouse and a pair of pale slim jeans, but her aura was very intimidating.

I nodded, forced to do her bidding. Like I can outrun her. If she says she's a goddess, I really don't want to test that claim or her patience, especially since her finger-snapping paralyzing gig from earlier scared me.

She smiled, showing her perfect white teeth, "Good decision, now let's get to it."

* * *

DISCLAIMER:** The following is a work of FICTION**

**The events, characters and names are fictional and/or derived from real mythology**

**and the Percy Jackson and Kane Chronicles series are owned by Rick Riordan**

**By writing this fanfic, no offense is intended to anyone**

* * *

**A/N**: So for the late update, I just had hell week at school, you know, the week-long exams and overdue projects/reports the week after that. Plus, I had to reread Red Pyramid again just to be sure that I'm right about Rick Riordan's mechanics in kemetic magic. Not to mention, I had to PM a bunch of people regarding the OCs they've submitted so the update was definitely slower. I also added my own spin to, like the "Original Language" and other things. To tell you the truth, this was my favorite chapter to write, because I loved the researching and pooling all that magical theory together. Sadly, I won't double-update today. Particularly because I've yet to find my male OC.

So if you guys are still interested, I've extended the OC applications (for a MALE OC) till August 31. If you're interested in submitting your OC, click on the link on my profile so see the guidelines and stuff.


	17. Daphne: Chapter 17

Title: _**My Hard to Believe Mythological Experience**_

Chapter 17: off to Seattle

* * *

To be an _**Einherjar**_

a hero must die a most _noble_ and selfless death.

A _**valkyrie**_ chooses her _**einherjar**_

but what happens when her current incarnation is _incomplete_?

* * *

"Where are we going now?" I asked Gold. After the whole ordeal with the Lycan and the Cu Siths, I find myself very exhausted. That's how I ended up in the ladies' room inside a 24-hour McDonalds staring at my reflection in the mirror.

"- Away from here, -" was the curt reply of my purple-eyed reflection. It was a good thing no one was around because I didn't want to explain my current disposition and how there was a _boy_ on the other side of the mirror–I wasn't even gonna take a chance if they could see Michael or not, because Michael, who faded back into me after exhausting himself in the skirmish, was right beside me, back to his old pervy self, seen _only_ in the mirror's reflection. I didn't want people thinking that the women's' bathroom was haunted by a teenage pervert. I wasn't _that_ evil.

"This is actually the first time I'm _inside_ the ladies' room." He said, clearly excited. Definitely a perverted teenager.

We ignored him as I started freshening up – mainly washing the dirt and monster blood on my arms and face. Good thing they weren't poisonous. My clothes, however, would have to be thrown away because we just didn't have the time and effort to clean it. Besides, has anyone told you how difficult and taxing it is to remove stains caused by monster blood?

"- Our location right now may be compromised. -"

However, we didn't get that far in the talking and planning because my stomach grumbled.

* * *

Gold let Michael out after my meal. The perv then started to whine about not being able to eat.

Gold, telepathically, told him that he's an einherjar, essentially an allegory of what he once was. Essentially, a being of pure spirit given a corporal form. And essentially, he doesn't need to eat. That didn't stop him from whining some more, and by the time he was wailing (like that of a mating whale or something), I was begging Gold to just give him what he wanted.

"But it's been so _long_ since I've tasted one." He said, flailing his arms. Gawd, can he be any more immature? Fortunately, there weren't a lot of people and we were seated on the farthest table in the room because he was seriously embarrassing.

Gold took over my body, raised a hand and I saw the Mist around the room move. "– There, eat to your heart's content. –"

Five minutes later, the big baby was nursing the damn burger like it was like it was some freaken holy grail. He was even talking to it.

I was silently looking at him in contempt when there was suddenly a shift in the atmosphere, like the temperature of the room got… colder. We looked around, alert, just in case. The only new thing around the room was some kid who entered the place.

He had black hair, the unhealthiest shade of paleness, and it was apparent that he was into the goth scene, without the tattoos, piecing and heavy make-up. Oh and he looked no older than twelve. Yeah… Anyway, looking at him makes me feel uncomfortable, not only because he was twelve with a weird S&M leather fetish and looked exceedingly malnourished, he gave off a… dreadful aura.

Gold took over. She grabbed the sappara as her eyes were glued to the kid no older than Sadie Kane. The kid went to the counter, waited patiently on the line, and ordered a… Happy Meal?

Definitely a kid.

After paying the suddenly pale cashier, the kid didn't even bother to look around as some black mass formed from his feet. He didn't even acknowledge it, even when the ground literally started to swallow him. Out of nowhere, Michael was up on his seat.

"Yo! Nico!" he yelled gleefully.

The kid looked up, shock clear in his features but not because the earth was swallowing him whole, he was shocked because of _Michael_.

That was all we saw before he dropped on the ground, the black mass on his feet fading as few seconds later.

"– _You know him? _–" Gold asked telepathically. Michael sat back into his seat and nodded. None of the people around me found it weird that a boy vanished before our very eyes, it was as if, they found Michael's sudden outburst more surprising than the said gothboy. Well, there was a lot of Mist around but…

"Yeah," the perv said childishly, "Knew him from camp."

"Camp?" I asked.

Our first einherjar took a bite from his third burger, "Oh, you didn't know? I am… was… a demigod."

I felt Gold inside me feel overwhelmed… with dread.

.

"– _Oh no. _–"

.

* * *

Our stay in the place didn't last that long, a first of many, might I add. With the revelation that Michael, who has taken an oath to support us, was the son of a god, or more importantly, a god from another Pantheon, Gold has taken it upon herself to do everything in her current disposal to do what she called _damage control_. Much to Michael's chagrin. This is probably because gods are apparently very protective, to the point of absolute annoying pettiness, of their offsprings. And according to her, especially when my (_her_?) pantheon is involved.

Anyhow, every Valkyrie is said to be capable of this power, so it wasn't really that much of a surprise that Gold was able to use it through me. She had me concentrate on having a harmonious mind, then, she took over my body and stared at Michael's very being.

I-I… I don't know if I should say this, but I saw a Michael Yew, a son of Apollo. I saw him as a strong warrior, a good man, a just leader, a dutiful son, basically an honest man. But like a rose held in your hands, it wasn't just the pretty petals that I saw, I got stung by its thorns; I saw him… forced to see him… in his worst, in times that was best left alone and forgotten. I saw him bully a defenseless kid when he was little, how he taunted kids from the Hermes Cabin because they weren't claimed yet. Saw him forced to slay the lives of underserving… fellow demigods in the battle against Chronos.

I saw him triumph, I saw him fail. I saw him love someone, only to lose her in the end. I saw him in his best and worst moments. And for good measure, I saw him in a _lot_ of embarrassing moments. More than I care to count, really. I mean, 'tell me you're number and I'll give you mine' as a hook-up line? Really? Who does that? And dear God, did he have to make out with a _looo~oooo~ooot_ of people? Boys included–though it was very evident that he prefer the girls more. I have nothing against him kissing boys, but the _amount_ of people (that means boys and girls) he's been orally intimate with is both astounding and embarrassing. Well, he is his father's son, after all.

And you know what's so scary about this power? I felt it too. The fear. The sadness. The despair. His elation. The happiness of his first kiss, the dread he felt when he saw his cabin's previous head's corpse in the battlefield. And worst of all, I saw him die, felt the excruciating pain and his futile struggle before death consumed him.

It felt intruding. I never wanted to see a person like that. But I did. And I can't un-see it.

The flashes subsided and I was left with Michael, body hunched and shivering, face looking read to puke.

_Well_, _what now?_ I asked.

"– Well, we can't un-einherjar him –"

"You have no right." Michael looked sick, then murderous. "What right do you have to invade me like that?"

Gold didn't reply until Michael stepped forward, angry. "Why?"

"– Let us go. –" Gold turned and left McDonalds. I didn't know if Michael would follow us but sure enough, I head his footsteps from behind us when Gold pushed the door open.

* * *

Michael didn't speak much after what happened and Gold barely talked to him either. So that left me trying to mediate between them. Keyword: try. To tell you the truth, when Michael did start to talk, the topic of what happened to him was never brought up. Ever.

I didn't get that far in mending bridges because Gold had then decided our next destination, an undisclosed place in the west. So a little Mist here and a few days later–after nonstop traveling–we were at our destination: Seattle.

My body was very exhausted after all those traveling that we did. Sure, Gold took the reins whenever I tired but our body took the fall because it didn't get to recuperate from such a strenuous endeavor. You see, while switching made the person not in control of my body rest, it was only the spirit within that got the benefit said rest, sort of like acquiring the will that made my body move. Kinda hurts to, to wake up feeling your body sore and tired even if you've had a refreshing nap.

Imagine my elation when I saw the first bed I had seen in days. Next, imagine seeing a showerhead that sprayed hot water after not bathing for a few days. Yeah, I savored every minute of it. Especially that shower. Though I had to ask Gold to materialize Michael because it would be too weird and kind of not morally accepted to have a boy with me as I took my much-needed and much-deserved bath.

I was wearing a set of clean clothes when I emerged from the bathroom when I found Michael watching a _House_ rerun from the motel TV, munching on a granola bar. I didn't get to talk much to him because the pull of the bed was too overpowering, and not a minute after I exited the bathroom, I was snuggled deeply into the bed's embrace.

I probably slept longer that I should've but it appears that Gold didn't bother taking over my body because when I woke up, I was in the same position I was in before I slept. Let me tell you, though, I have never felt so refreshed in my entire life. The feeling was comparable to the Nectar thing that Katie made me drink from back then.

"Good, you're still alive," was the first thing I heard when I sat upright. Michael was staring at me, grinning like the perv that I think he is. "I actually thought you died on me."

Gold, inside me, was silently recuperating. She says that switching was very difficult to her since her soul's natural affinity to my body wasn't exactly as perfect as mine.

"How long was I out?"

Michael shrugged, "A day and a half." He went for a cupboard in the kitchenette in our small motel room and brought out two small packs of instant noodles in a foam food container. I was surprised that our panty was stocked with food supplies. It was empty when we got here. Anyway, he placed a kettle filled with hot water on a small electric stove, and waited patiently for the water to warm up.

The silence between us felt palpable, I didn't want it to be too awkward so I started to ask questions. "So, did something happen when I was asleep?"

He shook his head, crossing his arms and leaning into counter, "Not that I am aware of."

I went for the small dining area and took a seat in one of its seat. "I see we're stocked up on food supply." I said conversely.

He looked nonchalant, "I wandered around." He must've seen my raised brow and laughed, "No, I wasn't running away. I tried to see if I could scout the area for monsters. Can't have a dangerous enemy around while you were resting, can we?" he then materialized his intricate bow and checked the tightness of its string, "Anyway, I found the convenience store out of pure coincidence." He looked at smiling, "I thought you might be hungry after sleeping so I might as well buy food."

"How did you get the money?" We didn't have any money on us, only Gold's power on the Mist. Maybe he can manipulate the Mist too? He is (was?) a demigod after all.

Michael's pervy grin was back, "Let's just say, I _could've_ been a pop star if I wanted."

I shivered at the thought of the (probably) perverted things he must've done to get that money.

The kettle started to whistle, and Michael then started to pour the water on our ramen. He handed me mine and I thanked him.

"So what did you found out when you were wondering?" I looked at him as I waited for the ramen to cook.

He looked at me, blanked face, then shrugged, "I seem to get weaker the farther I am from you."

"Really?" He nodded, "The farthest I can go, without feeling so winded, is about two blocks."

He moved to the sit on one of the couches and opened the television. We then ate in silence, watching cartoons up 'til the early afternoon.

* * *

By three thirty, Gold was strong enough, that she told us why we were here. We were after something, or someone (she was very cryptic again), here. Well, beneath from here. So that's how Michael and I found ourselves in an entourage touring in Underground Seattle. We posed as a brother-sister duo, where we had to make this sob story about how Michael was going away and me having a near-fatal operation in my… well, it was confusing, but they seemed to buy it, so it didn't really matter now. Gold wasn't strong enough to Mist our way here so we had to improvise.

The tour guide was going on about the place's history and the tourists were camwhoring on just about every _single _thing they see. We didn't really need to bring out our flashlights because the people using flash photography, when it was _HIGHLY DISCOURAGED,_ was enough to illuminate the area. Well, it didn't hurt that the tour's complimentary old-ish helmets-with-flashlights-on-top helped.

According to Gold, we were looking for, let me quote Gold here, 'an entrance that is not there.' As usual, I asked what she meant by that, and, as usual, her answered was an even bigger mystery: "– You'll know it when you see it –"

I'll know when I see it? Are you kidding me? It's not like I'll run into–_oomph!_

I fell flat on my butt, apparent running into something. Michael and I were kind of far from the touring group so no one noticed us.

"Good, you found it." Was what Michael said, a hand extended to help me up.

"I'm fine, Michael, thank you for asking." I mumbled sarcastically. I looked at the thing I ran into and I saw that it was a sign that was heavily covered in Mist. I looked closely, and it was a sign of an arrow pointing to a direction that was also heavily Misted, but beyond all that Mist is a gated tunnel that was pitch black.

I looked at Michael, he looked at me.

"Ladies first."

I rolled my eyes, so much or chivalry.

The gate's locking mechanism was unlike anything I've ever seen. "– old Chinese lock–" Gold whispered very quietly in my head. She, very gently, took over me and opened the gate. With that done, she let me take over and I pushed the gate open.

"I'm actually surprised the magic in the place hasn't faded yet." Michael commented, his eyes glued on the free pamphlet the tour gave.

The dark hallway looked intimidating, but I tried to steel myself, "Here goes nothing."

The helmet's light wasn't strong enough to pierce through the darkness so I brought my very strong flashlight out from my backpack and turned it on.

It was like walking through a maze; every twist and every turn we made somehow made us more confused than before. The old, stuffy and stale air, as well as being in a tight hallway didn't help either.

And just when I thought it couldn't get any worse, an all too familiar sound was heard not far from us–a bellow.

* * *

DISCLAIMER:** The following is a work of FICTION**

**The events, characters and names are fictional and/or derived from real mythology**

**and the Percy Jackson and Kane Chronicles series are owned by Rick Riordan**

**By writing this fanfic, no offense is intended to anyone**

* * *

**NOTES:** sorry for the late update everyone, it's just that I just another hell week at school, especially since I had to do FIVE papers that was kinda long INDIVIDUALLY. Anyway, I've chosen the two OCs who'll show up on my story. If you're curious, visit my forum (the link is in my profile) to read their bios and stuff. Anyway, thank you everyone, especially those who submitted their character(s) and took the time to answer my questions regarding their OC. I loved reading all of your characters and their backgrounds. I liked a good deal of them, but alas, I only had to chose two. Anyway, an OC character is set to appear on Daphne's next chapter. Hope you liked this chapter.

Also, I changed the rating of this fic to T because, a friend said it would be appropriate since I made Michael's bi. Yes, you heard me right, I made him bi, JUST LIKE APOLLO. If you'd ask why, go read Apollo's wiki page: he's also had a few male lovers. I have nothing against it, it's just that I wanted to warn this those who might be uncomfortable about the subject, thus I agree with raising the rating. If you're wondering, no, I won't do lemon-y scenes. I might do a few snogging scenes here and there, but that'll be it. nothing more than that.


	18. Theodore: Chapter 18

Title: _**My Hard to Believe Mythological Experience**_

Chapter 18: Pacts

* * *

To be an _**Einherjar**_

a hero must die a most _noble_ and selfless death.

A _**valkyrie**_ chooses her _**einherjar**_

but what happens when her current incarnation is _incomplete_?

* * *

Exhausted, I laid myself back into the snuggly embrace of my bed. I was fresh out from a warm shower, right after a fulfilling dinner, and just laying down on my bed felt… _amazing._

I know, I probably should start reading the leather bound book Lucas gave me, but I was just too tired. The things Clemence made me do were just…

What do you mean 'who's Clemence?'

Oh, sorry. Getting ahead of myself there.

Clemence was the girl… godling probably… from the antique shop. She teaches me magic now too. But unlike Lucas' theory-based and discussion-based style of teaching, hers was more on the 'let's do art' type of teaching. And let me tell you, her method of teaching is like being thrown into a pit of lions.

She taught me runic symbology first. It's just a fancy name for drawing stick figures and circles. I guess, they're kinda comparable to hieroglyphs. The mediums used to do this branch of magic were essentially the same, at least supposedly; Clemence made me do runes with markers and flat rocks.

When I asked why, she told me runic magic was just manifestation thought and will, and that, while one will find it difficult at first, with practice it'll get better. Well, she said that after this rant about the Nomes being so into their _traditional crap_ that their ways got stale and ineffective.

"Why a marker then?" I asked, ignoring her insults to the Egyptians (don't want to get on her bad side, remember?) "And why does it have to be on stones and rocks?"

"Would you rather practice on your skin then?" she looked at me irately, "Where a little slip could cost ya?"

"Why not paper?" I reiterated my question, a little phased at her words.

She sighed, "Since, you're obviously stressing over this, fine," she pointed at the rock we were using as a scratch pad, "Stones and rocks are the closest we have to a pure, untempered canvas. Not to mention they're obviously not scarce. They have no life; therefore they have an even _lesser_ amount of latent magic as compared to paper, for example."

"Latent magic?"

"Latent magic: residual life force essences that can imbalance your magic." Life force, I know about that. They are, like, the soul inside _every _living being in the planet. Plants, animals and humans.

"But Lucas said–"

"Who the hell is this Lucas you keep talking about? He sounds like a close-minded kemetic shaman." She looked at me fiercely, "Tell me, what is paper made of?"

"Plants."

"And plants are alive right?"

I nodded.

"So it stands to reason that they have latent magic. Those from the Hindu Pantheon believe, and will argue with you tooth and nail about this topic, that plants have feelings and such. They even believe that those unworthy for both salvation and damnation get reincarnated as one. And while we're different from them, they do provide a valid point. Heck, even your sciences believe and have evidences that plants are _biological_ creatures." She huffed, "besides, no matter how much those kemetic idiots argue, there will _always_ be latent magic in their papyrus scrolls, no matter how refined they think they've made them."

"…because those who make them unintentionally, and perhaps unknowingly, imbued their paper with their _own_ magic." I finished, getting it.

"Yes. That's also the same principle in amulet making." She huffed, crossing her arms.

"Also, since the scarcity of rocks in _sandy_ Egypt, paper was their only canvas pure enough to substitute it. I reckon if they had access to rocks then they wouldn't use it for magic as much. Though, I won't argue with paper being one of the best inventions of mortals, because it_ is_ one of the best inventions of mortals, but as compared to rocks, they're not as effective for magical writing."

She then grabbed my marker, "In magical writing, there are fundamentally two parts: your _dry _canvas and your _wet _ink. Principally, you use a dry canvas because of its stability, so you can cement your thoughts and will; purity, so nothing would hinder you from realizing your thoughts and will; and visional imagery, so you can present the way how your realize your magic however you want it. With latent magic present on your canvas, your magic is as good as meaningless doodles. Of course, paper can still be used as a way to conduct magic, but since you'll find it a hassle to carry paper around, and summoning paper from the Duat, for example, can be very taxing, not to mention having to break through the latent magic that an unrefined paper could possess, why not just use something that's almost _always_ around you?"

She then uncapped the marker and began doodling on the rock, "The second part is the wet ink. The ink represents your right, as a creature of the Cosmos, to physically manifest your imagination and vision. It's also the medium of how you voice out your thoughts and will. Now, what I stress about a canvas being better without latent magic, with ink, the more latent magic it contains, the more potent your runes will be. Basically, the lack of life in your canvas and the presence of life in your ink is the balance you're looking for. Those Taoists like to argue it's the Yin-and-Yang thing, but I'd really don't want to get more ranty that I already am." I wanted to write these things down, but Clemence didn't really leave me any time to prepare, being dragged out of nowhere to learn and all, "Do keep in mind that certain mixtures in your ink can make or break your symbology."

"So that means…"

"Yes, I'll teach about ink making and the properties of its ingredients." She sighed exasperatedly.

"Wait, so do all the ingredients of the ink have to be in liquid form?"

She shook her head, "As I said, certain ink mixtures and combinations are better suited for certain tasks. For example, you can substitute blood with powered rubies."

"But rubies are…"

"Rubies as part of your _ink_ not your canvas. And yes, rubies can be used as canvases too, despite it's distinctive attributes."

I nodded, "So, I have to take into account that some things that can be used as a canvas can also be used as part of the ink? But not the other way around?"

She nodded.

"So, I can use charcoal too? Or a pencil as my ink? Even if they're dry?" I started to spout question after question at her.

All my questions should've overwhelmed any person, but I knew she wasn't ordinary. In fact, she seemed to get more… interested as I asked question after question.

"In due time, I will teach you. But now, I want to teach you about the art of writing first." She raised a hand to stop me.

I nodded, feeling happy for the first time since I met her, "So, if I get this right," I wanted to clarify it, "the dry canvas should be pure, or at least have as little latent magic as possible to be effective, while the ink medium should have ingredients made from substances with latent magic. Where certain mixtures will result in certain effects." I recalled the doodle I did with my pencil on my notebook, "So, the reason why my pencil wasn't able to summon things from the Duat was because it wasn't wet?"

"It's more than that, but at least you got your concepts right, as you know, there are very_ few_ things that are absolute in this world, and magical writing is _not_ one of them. There are a few dry inks that can be potent enough for certain magicks." She looked at me, "Wait, why do you know so much about the Duat? Is this Lucas of yours teaching you kemetic magic?" I was about to answer but she looked away, "Well, I don't really hold it against you. I'm just happy you're not learning _Chinese_ calligraphy, because magic of that type is confusing, even to me. Much more intricate and very precise, really." She shuddered at the thought.

She handed me back the marker then we really got it going. She taught me the basics of runes. I still had a lot to learn, but it was fun. While I don't get to summon things from the Duat, I learned to make rock grenades (long story) and make rocks as light as a feather (and even longer story). Though, just like hieroglyphs, doing runic symbology is as equally exhausting.

Anyway, I was set to meet her every Wednesday and Friday mornings.

To be honest, our next session was kinda weird for me: we were spinning thread apparently.

So that's how I found myself having two instructors. I probably have no idea what I have gotten myself into, but I do know that I should tell Lucas about Clemence. Maybe not. Maybe I should ask Clemence about it first?

* * *

Tuesday, and Tony and I were by ourselves in our town's only mall. We were wasting our lazy afternoon by hanging around in the food court, much like all the other bored teenagers who, unlike me, have no summer plans. I'm learning _magic_. That is different.

Anyway, Tony was blowing off his week's allowance by pigging out on the food court's many fattening foods while I read Lucas' leather-bound journal. It was his trainee days' notebook. Written in his scratchy handwriting, it was filled with quick, easy-to-read spells, potions and magical theory. Complete with diagrams, graphs and tables too. This right here is, like, a genuine walkthrough, which, by default, is awesome.

A couple of my peers said that I looked like I was studying; probably because I was jotting down notes and questions on my notebook. I even used rulers, protractors, colored pencils (you know, to coordinate my writing) and post it notes to organize everything. I was writing so much stuff that I had to disassemble my notebook to _add_ extra papers on it. Trust me, it's gotten pretty thick now.

My writing hand was starting to ache, so I had to take a break. Tony, I saw, was unwrapping his _seventh_ burger.

"Dude, what's with you?"

Tony's brow rose mid-bite, "Nothing, why?"

"That's you're seventh burger." I pointed at the many crumpled wrappers on his tray. "And you're forth serving of cheese nachos." I indicated to the stacked empty cartons on mine.

Ever since Tony got bit by that monster from back then, I had been pretty paranoid around him. Like that time where I thought he was having a mental break, only to find out he was fanboying over this new MMO expansion pack.

"Relax," he must've seen the look on my face, "I'm just hungry."

"Unusually hungry?" I'm pretty aware about his eating habits, and he isn't this gluttonous.

"Bro," he rolled his eyes, and took a bite, "We do this all the time. I'm really just hungry."

His tattoo-like scar was staring at me. He had taken to using permanent marker to 'hide' his scar. Instead of hiding it in plain sight, and risk an explosive reaction from his parents, why not just highlight the scar by making it look like an artsy tattoo? Kind of like hiding it on plain sight, which was a very smart move, now that I thought about it. Sure, the ink fades from time to time, but that'll just sell it: that his entire arm may or may not be bathed in ink. Well Tony got called as a 'poser' or something by people but he and I didn't really think much about them. And he's kind of accepted it, something I still really feel guilty about, no matter how much he say it's no big deal.

So, yeah, I was staring at his pseudo-tattoo when I saw something out of the corner of my eye.

There were, at least, half a dozen of them. Teenagers, they appeared to be, but… Just like the ones from the grocery store, they had not-so-human heads. One even had a hairdryer as one.

Immediately, I stood up and started shoving my things into my backpack, careful in attracting unwanted attention.

Tony saw me but I hushed him before he can speak. "Tony, we have to get out of here."

"Why?"

I zipped my bag closed and slung it over my shoulder, taking a quick glance of the weird-headed people. Currently, they were talking to each other. Probably.

"Theo, what's wro–"

I gripped his shoulder, "Tony, I don't have time to explain. Please, trust me on this."

For a second, I thought he was going to rebuke what I said, but he pushed his chair off the table and stood up. "Where to?"

I smiled at him, "Thanks." Good timing too because Daphne's bracelet started to warm up. Intensely, I should add.

Fortunately for us, there were many exits so we just had to choose the one that was farthest from them. And indeed, the farther we got from them the less scorching the bracelet became, further solidifying my initial thought that her bracelet could warn me about certain dangers.

Our good luck didn't last long because when we were by the parking lot, it started to _burn_.

"Dude, was it just me or did I just see a man with a blender head?"

I placed my forefinger on my lips. I knew something was going, noticing how eerily silent the whole place was.

"Well, well, well." Tony and I turned to the voice and saw a female. With the head of a chainsaw, her voice much like the sound it makes.

The _espada ropera_ was immediately on my head, pointed threateningly. I had stepped forward, trying to shield Tony, who was gawking at the sword in my hand.

"Friend of the axe-head?" I asked, eyes narrowing as she kept walking towards us.

She tilted her head, "I don't know who you're talking about, but seeing a mortal holding a god's artefact doesn't sit well with me." Out of the corner of my eyes, I noticed that the same people who I was trying to run away from in the mall were coming towards us. Other small groups of weird-headedness was also coming to us from all directions as well.

The woman stepped closer, "Well, for one, I don't really have any business with you, and I personally don't like unnecessary squabbles, so let me just ask you a few questions and we'll be on our way."

I knew I was cornered, and with Tony behind me, I knew my options were severely limited.

When I didn't answer she continued, "I'd like to know abo–" and then suddenly, she was a pile of dust. There was a thud, that I saw that she had been pierced by a spear in the back.

To where the spear came from, I saw seven of these other creatures, looking more menacing that the weird-headed people. They had scaly green skin, snake-like tongues and two serpent trunks instead of legs. They all appeared to be females, very ugly and very intimidating. So much so since they sported heavy battle armors and carried a wide array of spears and lances.

They and the weird-headed people then started to charge at each other.

They were… fighting each other? I felt someone pulling my arm, "C'mon, Theo! Don't just stand there."

And so, Tony and I ran.

"Where to?" Tony asked. We left his car in the parking lot, and since the whole place around the mall was a clearing, our options were pretty limited.

There was a forest nearby. That's where, Sarah, the wood nymph, lived. I didn't want the enemy to disturb her forest, but I wasn't left with much of a choice.

"Over there! In that forest."

* * *

"So what now?" Tony and I were catching our breaths. We went a little deeper in the forest and stopped when we were sure no one was following us.

"Stay here until we're sure we're safe." To me, that sounded like the best plan I could think of right now.

"And when will we be safe?" I recognized my friend's tone. I better try and placate him before he does something stupid.

"When those… things… following us leave us alone." I had regained my composure more quickly than Tony, and it was at this very moment that I was thankful with all the physical training I've been doing lately.

"And when will that be?"

He was still taking big gasps of air.

I chose not to say anything, keeping a look out of the place, and because I didn't have the answer that he wanted to hear.

"Where are you going?" I grabbed Tony's shoulder as I saw him turn around.

He shrugged it off, "I'm going back."

"Tony…"

"I never asked for any of this."

I tried to be the level-headed one, "I know but-"

Tony shook his head. "But what, Theo?"

I took in a deep breath, "I never asked for this too, and I'm sorry that I somehow dragged you into this mess, but as of this moment, there isn't anything I could do to make everything go away." I dug my hands into my pants' pockets, "But we're here _now_, and whether you like it or not, as long I'm still alive, I won't let anything bad happen to you. I promise."

There as a rustle of leaves, "Is this a bad time?" a new voice asked.

Tony and I jumped, surprised, and turned to the direction of the voice.

"Sarah?" I dropped my pointed weapon at her. I didn't realize that Daphne's bracelet was still in my hand, and was pointed threateningly at my friend.

"I heard some shouting and decided to snoop around." She smiled sheepishly. In our human age, Sarah was way older than me but her appearance looked no more than a girl of my age.

Tony stepped to my side, "What are you?"

To any normal mortal, that would sound really insulting, but Sarah was a dryad so I let my friend's choice of words slide. You see, while she looked like an average fifteen or sixteen year-old, when she blushed, she'd blush green. Probably because of the chlorophyll inside her. In fact, she looked like an orange-headed She-Hulk. Except, without the bodybuilder's build. But once you're passed that, she was most like other wood nymhs, very beautiful. Much more so, in my opinion, because she had that shy vibe thing going on.

"I… I…" Sarah's posture deflated until she burst into a pile of leaves. I told you, she's the shy type.

Tony jumped in fright, making me laugh. It was like we weren't fighting a while ago, right? We've always been like that.

"Dude!" he looked at me.

"She's very shy, and you were rude earlier." I told me.

He looked at me.

"You don't just ask a wood nymph 'what are you' so… blatantly." I supplied.

I then led Tony to Sarah's anchor tree. It was this tall willowy tree that stood right atop a small hill. I stumbled upon the place when I was trying to establish my running route. You know, when I jogged. Plus, I preferred this scenic route rather than going around laps in my school's track.

"Sarah." I called out quietly, "My friend didn't mean to scare you like that." I nudge Tony, who then mumbled an apology to the tree in front of us.

For a second, I thought she wasn't gonna show, but a few leaves on the ground piled up, and she was standing before us again.

She stood a little below me, her doe-like eyes a little apprehensive at being in close proximity with my male friend.

"This is Tony." I pushed him to her, "my friend."

The nodded to each other, albeit awkwardly, with Sarah being very shy at meeting new people, and Tony who was looking at Sarah disbelievingly.

She then saw the sword in my hand. "I told you that thing's special."

I looked at it, "I guess."

"What're you doing here?"

Tony and I started to tell our versions of the story at the same time, and I guess we overwhelmed her because she yelped something before turning into a pile of leaves. So we apologized again, waited for her to appear again, and carefully told our stories.

"The ones who're after you," Sarah looked at the nearby trees, after I finished my version of the story, "They left."

"How'd you know that?" Tony asked.

"The trees?"

She nodded, "There's this tree right beside that burger joint, his name's Phil, well, he said he saw the two groups leave the place after getting into a bit of a squabble."

"You'd expect us to believe you like that?" Tony asked, "What if you're working for them?"

Sarah frowned, looked frightened, but she stood firm this time.

"Yes Tony." I defended Sarah, "I believe her."

"Tell me you're not serious."

"I am," I narrowed my eyes, "I believe my _friend_, Tony."

That shut him up. I really don't hold his attitude right now against him, but I cannot tolerate his attitude towards my other friend.

I looked at Sarah and apologized to her on my friends' behalf, "he's a little overwhelmed." I added.

Tony didn't reply, but he sent me a menacing glare.

"Strange though," I started, "why are they popping up now? The monsters, I mean. It's like there's something attracting them here."

Sarah looked at me, like I grew an extra head or something. "You don't know?" she pointed at my sabre, "Ever since you've awakened the true potential of that thing, you're kind of sticking out like a sore thumb. Well, you were like that before, but it's more pronounced now."

"What?"

"I mean, I literally felt your presence the moment you set foot into this forest, and not even considering the average-yness of this place, that is kind of surprising to me. Where did you get that Theo?"

I willed the bracelet to turn back into its wristlet form, making Tony hilariously jump away in surprise, "My… er… someone I knew."

"Is this person… dead?" She asked carefully.

Taken back, "Wha-No!" I calmed down because Sarah flinched, "She just… gave it to me."

"Well, whatever her reasons are, it's attracting all sorts of… beings." She crossed her arms, "Unless you plan to be future monster chow, Theo, I suggest you return that… _thing_."

I sighed, but nodded at her words. I know Sarah's looking out for me, and since I didn't know why Daphne gave me her bracelet, I knew it was probably the right choice.

Anyway, it was getting late and we had to get back. We bade farewell to Sarah, but not before Sarah did something.

"Here, Theo." You know in the movie 'Tangled', how Rapunzel's braided hair was held by flowers? Well it was like that with Sarah's hair. She took one small flower, a little smaller than the palm of my hand, and she handed it to me, "I sense something's changed in you. I don't know what it is, but I feel like I can watch over you better if I…" she made me turn around and opened my backpack.

She brought out the notebook where I was taking my notes in, "Here." She handed it to me.

"Press this flower on an empty page." I did what she told me, "What for?"

"Just a little something." She smiled, and I looked at the page where I had pressed the flower, and to my shock, the flower was gone and the empty page now had a picture of Sarah, with some inscription and notes that I could, surprisingly, read as 'Elemental Pact: Dryad.'

"Elemental Pact? Sarah, What does this–" I looked up and she was already gone.

* * *

I stopped by at Clemence's shop after being dropped off by Tony. I wanted to know what that Elemental Pact with Sarah could mean. I didn't know if she worked there or if she owned the place but I get the feeling that Clemence lived in the shop.

The warning bell chimed as I entered. There weren't many people inside, just the same hipsters who seemed to have taken the place as their hangout. They started at me, a few rolling of their eyes as they just saw me. I shrugged and went into the counter. Clemence doesn't seem to be around, and I knew I really have no reason to be here, so as much as I wanted to stay and wait for Clemence, I just decided to leave the place.

Outside, I recognized two people walking to my direction.

"Mr. and Mrs. Smith," well, considering how small our town is, incidents like these were always bound to happen, "Out on a date?" I tried to quip, but yes, I know, it was a horrible attempt.

Daphne's mom, probably out of pity, laughed a little at my failed attempt of a joke, "Something like that," Dead God, they look like those celebrity power couples out on a stroll in Hollywood or something. Mr. Smith just nodded politely to my direction.

"Are you visiting this shop?" I asked lamely. Individually they were intimidating, but together they're… like a force or something.

"Out on a walk." Mr. Smith said curtly, he always seemed the no-nonsense type. And he really didn't seem the type who'd do polite conversations with people.

I nodded, playing instinctively with my wristlet, "Uh… how's Daphne?"

Mr. Smith placed a chin over his chin contemplatively, "We haven't heard much from her lately."

"Probably enjoying that camp too much, hun." Mrs. Smith laughed, pecking her husband's cheek. Did I forget to mention that they act like newlyweds all the time?

"Oh," I said dejectedly.

"Why? Did you want to tell her something? I can relay it to her for you, if you want." Mrs. Smith suddenly looked interested, while her husband's brow just rose.

Yes. That's exactly it. But the two probably could never imagine what I want to talk to her about: her bracelet that's attracting all the monsters.

"On second thought, nevermind. See ya around Mr. and Mrs. Smith." Wuss.

I made a mad dash away from them, not daring to look back.

* * *

That night, as I watched a rerun episode of 'The Real Housewives of New Jersey' (there wasn't anything good on) the phone rang.

"Yep?" I said, thinking it was Tony.

_"What?"_ it was a girl's voice.

"Who's this?"

_"You said you wanted to give me a message?"_

…is this. I felt like I got hit by a ton of bricks.

.

"_Daphne_?"

.

No laughter, no mirth. If anything, her voice was full of… contempt.

"Wh-what are you-? How did you get–"

_"It doesn't matter. I called my parents today, and my mom told me that you wanted to tell me something. Amongst other things."_ She said the last part in a whisper, like she was blushing. I don't know what her mom told her but I can imagine her flushing as her mother relayed whatever it is her mom wanted to say, and I can't help but laugh at the mental imagine of a red-face Daphne.

_"Anyway, so what is it?"_ Daphne sounded annoyed this time.

At first I was shocked that she called me, then happy that she called, then it dawned to me that the reason I wanted to talk to her is because… "Why did you give me your bracelet?"

Silence.

"It's attracting monsters," I supplied.

_"…wait, wait, wait. You awakened the bracelet? _You _awakened the _bracelet_?"_ she sounded genuinely surprised, but I didn't like her tone.

"There was an… incident." Her silence told me to continue, "some weird people with appliances and weapons for heads attacked me. And there was this Chimera…" my bracelet suddenly tingled upon saying that last word. And I felt a sudden threat.

"Theo!" she yelled, "Don't! It'll attract all sorts of monsters…"

I remember Chiron telling me the exact same thing… about not saying a monster's name because it was like sending them an SMS.

"Anyway, I wanted to tell you that I wanted to return your bracelet. I really don't care why you gave it to me, I just don't want it around me anymore."

She was quiet for a couple of seconds.

"Daphne? Are you still there?"

_"Meet me next month,"_ she told me that our meeting place was in a nearby town, _"you can give me that bracelet there."_

"Okay." At first I thought if I could ask Katie to accompany me, but then I realized after the graduating ceremony of the seniors awhile back, I didn't get to see Katie anymore. Like she vanished or something. So, I'll probably just go by myself since I didn't want to drag anymore of the people I care for into this mess.

* * *

DISCLAIMER:** The following is a work of FICTION**

**The events, characters and names are fictional and/or derived from real mythology**

**and the Percy Jackson and Kane Chronicles series are owned by Rick Riordan**

**By writing this fanfic, no offense is intended to anyone**

* * *

**NOTES:** The reason why it took up so long to write this chapter is because of the first part, that one about magical writing. I actually had to research A LOT about how other mythologies approach magic. I hope you like this!


	19. Daphne: Chapter 19

Title: _**My Hard to Believe Mythological Experience**_

Chapter 19: the Dame of Hampshire

* * *

To be an _**Einherjar**_

a hero must die a most _noble_ and selfless death.

A _**valkyrie**_ chooses her _**einherjar**_

but what happens when her current incarnation is _incomplete_?

* * *

Damn it, a minotaur? Really?

"heads up!" Michael yelled, shooting an arrow to the beast.

"A maze, why did we have to be in a maze?" Michel was letting arrow after arrow loose but as much as how accurate his fired shots are, it doesn't seem to be doing any significant damage to the enemy. The monster was bigger and more ferocious than the one I encountered back then, and Michael's arrows seemed to be agitating it more.

"Options?" Michael asked, firing a steady stream of arrows. He even tried shooting his more gimmicky arrows, like the exploding arrows, but they weren't doing any better than the normal ones, and according to Michael, summoning them was more tiring.

"We run." And we did. As fast as we could. The place was dimly lit, and I was afraid if we weren't careful, we might end up cornered on a dead end.

"We could use Gold by now," Michael told me.

"Don't you think I've been trying to do that since the moment we saw that thing chasing after us?" I did. I have been trying to calling her, but no dice. She was probably still recuperating.

"Terrific." He said sarcastically. "This is just great."

Fortunately for us, the monster's size made him evidently slower, so after a few minutes of running, we were pretty sure that we somehow evaded it. When the coast was clear, I stopped to catch my breath, my legs giving out at the same time. Michael said he felt weaker or tired, but since he was an einherjar, he didn't really feel out of breath. He did appear to lose his realness, like he was starting to fade or turn ghostly.

"Where are we?"

We managed to stumble into a tight room. It looked like a pub, or, at least something that looked like a pub. The whole place was littered with what appeared to be tables and chairs, or rather, what were once tables and chairs, and there were beer barrels on one side of the corner.

I walked around the place, momentarily forgetting the part man and part bull creature that was chasing after us a while ago.

I can't explain it clearly, but there's… a presence here.

Something glinted out of the corner of my eye. Curious, I walked towards its direction. Kneeling on the floor at a corner of the room, something was telling me to go look for something there.

"What're you doing?" I looked over my shoulder and I see Michael, leaning towards me, looking over what I was looking at.

"I-I don't know." The pile of dirt was stirred by my hands. I tried to feel the dirt, and that's when my finger touched something concrete. Something small, but hard, and cold.

"A ring?"

"– _einherjar_ –" Gold whispered tiredly within me.

Einherjar? With this ring?

It tingled in my hand before glowing a dim but warm light,

_Well this is interesting._ The voice was from a woman, a young woman. She's got an accent too, a British or English accent but her tone sounded… er… archaic. Like someone from a renaissance period movie.

I concentrate, and a figure appears before me. She was bulky-looking. Curvaceous, that's the proper term. I don't even consider her fat, at all. She wore armor, _heavy_ armor, so she appeared to be bulky-looking. Also, her pants were replaced with what appeared to be a metal, mesh-like skirt. She looked a little older that Katie, but she didn't appear to be older than 20.

She was looking at me in contempt, her lips drawn in a thin line. Her hair was a dark shade of yellow, short, like a pixie cut, making her appear a bit masculine.

I looked at her feral-like blue eyes.

"Um…"

Yes, very intelligent of me, I know.

"To what do I owe the honor, my Lady?" she curtsied in a manner that wasn't like a man, but also unlike a woman.

Michael beside me had crossed his arms, "Ever fought a minotaur before?"

The young woman shrugged, "I do not believe is such fairytales."

She looked at me, "However, seeing as I am standing before the fabled Death goddess… I guess those barbarians and ruffians are not _that _far from the truth."

Sometehing within me clicked, and my eyes suddenly narrowed, "I am most certainly _not_ a facilitator of death." I didn't know where that came from, but I was pretty sure it didn't come from Gold.

"Er… sorry." I apologized. "I'm Daphne," I extended my hand, "I'm not a Death goddess."

The young woman stared at my hand, and she looked like she didn't know what I was trying to do.

"You're supposed to shake it." I supplied.

Her brow rose, and she kind of looked goofy, "Shake your… hand?"

I giggled, "Yes, my hand."

"Shake your hand?"

I nodded, still smiling.

"You are a strange girl."

Michael snorted while I merely tilted my head, "I guess so." I saw her smile for the first time, and despite my initial thought that she needed dental aid, she looked… charismatic.

"As I was saying, I am no Death goddess." I looked at her, hand still waiting for that handshake, "I can, however, show you another way." I stretched my extended hand, to make my point.

The young woman looked at it again, "You are a strange girl. Very strange. But I guess I would be in for quite a ride should I decide to join you." her eyes locked with mine, "Very well then…" she tried to mimic my hand's position. I took the extra step by trying to grasp her hand.

At first it was like touching mist, you kind of feel it but at the same time you don't, but before long, her hand started to form, and I could feel the realness of her hand. Her translucency started to vanish, and she became more and more… realized.

"Astrid." She told me.

"Astrid?" I repeated, feeling her hand steadying within my grasp.

"My name."

"Well, Astrid, this is how you do a handshake." I gave two firm shakes when her grip was firm enough. I didn't know if it was my doing, but her smile suddenly _didn't_ need dental aid. Gold, back then, told me that a Valkyrie's einherjar, so long as the Valkyrie approves of it, can make little yet significant alterations in an einherjar's physical state. That is why, usually, an einherjar, no matter how old, damaged or injured he was before recruitment, will always appear in his best state. And their preferred _state_ is usually in their late teens to their late 20s, in their physical peak. Besides, an einherjar missing an arm wouldn't be as effective as compared to one with two arms, right?

"So what now?" Michael asked. He had been watching for the Minotaur, and it's good that the monster hadn't found us yet, but we better look for whatever it is Gold wants us to find in this place.

* * *

I walked between Astrid and Michael. The new einherjar had what I believe to be a falchion and a buckler in her hands while Michael had an arrow ready to be shot on his bow. We were still finding what Gold asked us to find in the catacombs.

"So the Valkyrie in you wants us to find something?" Astrid whispered, tentatively taking her steps. Michael and I nodded, having finished explaining to her about our situation. Michael was watching our tail since he was the one who was using the long range weapon as Astrid guarded our front; formation tactics, according to them.

"That is…" Astrid's voice hang, trying to find a more appropriate word.

"Annoying?" Michael supplied, chuckling.

She shook her head, "I have been given worse orders by my superiors before."

What the hell is that supposed to mean? "Astrid, what were you before… all this?" I gripped my sappara tighter because I thought I saw something, but it was just a rat, so I relaxed, "When you were alive, I mean."

Astrid shrugged, "Nothing fancy. I was a middle ranked dame from the English Kingdom."

"Dame?"

"Female knight." Michael told me.

I looked at Astrid in awe. "Really, that's awesome!"

Astrid looked back, to me, "Awesome?" her brow was raised, "I believe, I am not familiar with that word."

"That was a compliment." I told her.

"Really?" she looked at me unsurely, "Well, thanks, I suppose."

"Did you participate in a war, before… being an einherjar?" Michael said conversationally.

Astrid shrugged, "I suppose that is a good way to put it. The last thing I remember was arriving in Meung-sur-Loire with reinforcements, before… I… died."

"Wait, wait, wait…" Michael's focus was all on Astrid, "You were a _participant_ in the Hundred Years' War?"

"Is that what they call that now?" Astrid said vaguely, looking ahead, sword and shield ready.

"Hundred Years' War?" Yes, this is the part where I regret not going to school. I don't know what the hell that is.

"A war between the French and the English people," Michael told me, before turning back to Astrid, "Did you meet _her_?"

"Who?" I asked to Michael, who wasn't paying attention to me.

Michael was looking so seriously at Astrid, "Did you meet _La Pucelle_? The Maid of Orleans?"

Astrid's smile was sad, "perhaps if I hadn't, I wouldn't be standing here…"

There was a quick moment of silence between us, Michael who was looking at Astrid, mouth spluttering like fish out of the water, Astrid who was staring blankly ahead, and me, not really understanding who or what they were talking about.

"Um…" I broke the silence.

"You were _defeated_ by Joan of Arc." It wasn't a question, more like a revelation to Michael. Wait…

Joan of Arc…? Really?

"I…"

Suddenly, we heard a thundering sound. Footsteps, I was sure of it. It was the Minotaur. The earth shook as the beast took its steps.

"God have mercy." Astrid jumped when she had felt it. Michael was suddenly alert, eyes roaming all around. We didn't have time to react, but surely, not far from us, the hairy figure of the monster was there.

Astrid did a charging yell, quite manly actually, and without regards to her safety, threw herself at the monster.

Michael grunted, "Your new einherjar is crazy."

I had my khopesh on my hand, not really sure how to use it, but I knew I had to atleast do my part. Whatever that is.

Fortunately, I quickly discovered what it was, thanks to Michael. "I could use some light, Daph." he said, letting loose an arrow. And it makes sense since the two of them were fighting an enemy in a dimly lit hallway.

Okay, illuminating the enemy with my flashlight, I could do.

In less than a minute, I had turned all of the flashlights I could hold on and pointed them at the Minotaur.

"The head, go for the head, Daph." Michael said.

I did what he told me, "But for the record, I hate that nickname. My name is Daphne."

While Astrid was keeping the Minotaur company, and she was doing a pretty good job at it, by running around it, and while I had pointed the flashlights at the Minotaur, Michael shot his arrows.

One hit the Minotaur dead on it's right eye, and it let out a gut-wrenching scream. It started to sway uncomfortably for a bit, and with one last yell, it fell forward, exploding into a pile of shimmery dust.

Astrid and I looked at Michael.

"I summoned an arrow whose arrowhead was dipped in centaur blood." He smiled sheepishly, "I used it in a battle in a labyrinth once."

Astrid picked up the arrow among the pile of dust, "Poison?"

Michael nodded.

Astrid then look at me, "I believe this is the first time I have seen a contraption like that. What is it?" she asked, pointing at my flashlight.

Michael and I, smilingly, explained what a flashlight is. Of course Astrid had a little difficulty getting the concepts of technology, but it was all good. The atmosphere, that is. But then, I noticed something weird.

"Is it supposed to do that?" I asked to no one in particular. The dust on the floor, the remains of what was once the minotaur, instead of scattering, was starting to clump together.

Michael looked at it, "I've never seen that happen before." He looked at me, "But just to be safe, let's just get going."

* * *

We reached this room. A room unlike any other, well, by its appearance, but by the feel of the place.

It was an empty room, save for the… dais, I believe, in the middle of it.

"I think this is it." Michael told me, I didn't need to be told that, because I felt it. The… residual power of the place. It was thick, and heavy, and very intimidating. It felt like a pure power of something was once house here.

I moved to the dais. It looked like an ordinary one. Made from some simple stone, but upon closer inspection, there were indentations on the dais.

"Runes." Michael touched the indentations. "I don't recognize it, but it's definitely runes. Magical inscriptions."

I felt Gold emerge from within me, but she was weak, I could feel it.

"– magicks long forgotten –" she whispered to us, she sounded weak, and as soon as she said that, she retreated back into me.

So did we find what we were looking for?

"– _no, I believe the thing we're looking for already left this place_. –" she told to just me.

Where?

"– _I do not know_ –"

Great. So what now?

"– _we leave the place_ –" she took over my body again. "– I've rested sufficiently enough, I'll be taking over for a while. Thank you –"

* * *

So that's why I or we were doing sidetrips all over the place. I don't know how long I've been running around America, but I know it's been months since I've been to Seattle. I've grown quite attached to Michael and Astrid, they're like my older siblings. And running around the country, I've come to be a capable fighter, not amazing, but just enough that even without Gold taking over my body, I can defend myself–Gold and Astrid were teaching me how to use the sword.

I was having my bi-weekly phone call with my parents, one afternoon, when my mom told me the strangest thing.

"Honey, do you remember that Theo boy?"

Theo? "Yeah."

"Well, I get the feeling that he wants to talk to you about something."

I dismissed it; after all, he _is_ back to his peaceful life, "It's probably nothing."

"That's the weirdest thing, I think it's something serious." She giggled. "Oh, how cute would you two be together!"

"MOM! I felt my head turn hot.

She laughed, "Anyway, I think you should give him a call. See what's bothering him."

I sighed, jingling my spare chance on right jean pocket. "Fine."

"Okay!" My mom's voice perked up, "I went through the directory and, you may want to write this down, honey, his number is…"

* * *

With Theo's number written on a crumpled napkin, I inserted my money on the payphone.

"_Yep?"_

Oh God, I don't know… I forgot what I was supposed to say.

"What?" that sound pretty smooth, nice job me.

"_Who's this?"_ God, sometimes, I think this person is the thickest person I've ever met, and I was growing irritated by the way how he was talking to me.

"You said you wanted to give me a message?"

.

"_Daphne?_"

.

"_Wh-what are you? How did you get–"_ Somehow, hearing him panic a little was funny, but I wasn't about to laugh at him.

"It doesn't matter. I called my parents today, and my mom told me that you wanted to tell me something." I remembered mom telling me how cute Theo and I would be together. Ew. "Amongst other things."

I mean, Theo's not bad looking, but… I really think we wouldn't mesh well together. Personality-wise, that is. And I _am_ busy as of this moment; on the run looking for God knows what, while he is back to his simple, monster-free life. I wouldn't want to be the person who'd bring trouble back to him. "Anyway, so what is it?"

_"Why did you give me your bracelet?"_

My world stopped. What? Gold wanted to hid my godly-stench from monsters, so I gave it to him. And also as a memento. It's not like Theo, being a pure mortal, would have the power to awaken its true potential.

"_It's attracting monsters."_ He told me.

"…wait, wait, wait. You awakened the bracelet? _You_ awakened the _bracelet_?" at first I was genuinely surprised. But then, I was pissed. Actually, I felt Gold get pissed, so by extension, I felt her emotions. But I tried to control it, at least until Theo explained his situation.

"_There was an… incident._" And…? "_Some weird people with appliances and weapons for heads attacked me_." Gold whispered into my mind that it's a monster from a different pantheon, but what got Gold curious was how those monsters could sense the bracelet when Theo was purely mortal. Only the gods, their children, or those touched by… magic for example, could awaken the bracelet. "_And there was this Chimera_…"

"Theo!" Dude, what the hell? "Don't! It'll attract all sorts of monsters…" I felt a sudden chill run down my spine. Michael and Astrid, resting their spirits inside of me, stirred, alert for anything out of the ordinary.

_"Anyway, I wanted to tell you that I wanted to return your bracelet. I really don't care why you gave it to me; I just don't want it around me anymore."_

Oh. I… honestly don't know what to say.

"_Daphne? Are you still there?"_

Gold told me that the bracelet was spelled to always return to its owner. Theo wouldn't be able to get rid of it by conventional means. Sure, he could give it to another person, but since the bracelet's been awakened, the only way to damped its power is through something that only Gold knows. "Meet me next month," I tell him, asking Gold to please follow me on this. I then remember that our next destination was a little close to my hometown, so I told him to meet me in that place, "you can give me that bracelet there."

Gold was pretty set on just leaving the bracelet to Theo, let him handle it. But my conscience wouldn't let it happen. I couldn't possibly leave him hanging like that, he's innocent, he was dragged into this mess, _I_ dragged him into this mess, and _I_ wanted to drag him out of it. Once and for all.

"_Okay_." He tells me, "_See you next month. I guess. Take ca-_"

My time's run out, and all I hear was the dial tone of the payphone.

Well, that settles that. I'm meeting Theo next month. Maybe I should visit my parents?

I probably shouldn't. With that bounty over my head, I just couldn't risk it.

In any case, I'll be seeing Theo again.

.

…I'm seeing Theo again.

.

* * *

DISCLAIMER:** The following is a work of FICTION**

**The events, characters and names are fictional and/or derived from real mythology**

**and the Percy Jackson and Kane Chronicles series are owned by Rick Riordan**

**By writing this fanfic, no offense is intended to anyone**

* * *

**NOTES:** Astrid is **Tonylovesfany**'s OC character. You can find her bio in my forum, particular in the link /topic/116548/68995318


	20. Theodore: Chapter 20

Title: _**My Hard to Believe Mythological Experience**_

Chapter 20: Attack at the 87th Nome

* * *

To be an _**Einherjar**_

a hero must die a most _noble_ and selfless death.

A _**valkyrie**_ chooses her _**einherjar**_

but what happens when her current incarnation is _incomplete_?

* * *

The days passed by so quickly for me. I mean, you don't just learn two distinct types of magic (_and_ fencing) and have free time, right? When I _did_ have time for myself, and that was yesterday, it's only two more days before I get to see Daphne again.

But more on my magic training, 'cause I have a feeling that's what you want to know.

I've learned all sorts of stuff from both Lucas and Clemence. Initially, Lucas was curious how I managed to easily grasp all the magical concepts that he himself took years to understand. I had to sugarcoat it a little, and just tell him that I had a great teacher. I haven't really told him about Clemence yet because Clemence told me that it would be best, for now, if Lucas didn't know about her.

I asked why, of course, and she then went on about having his ego bruised because, much as how this Lucas fellow wants to teach me, according to her, he'd have trust issues if he'll learn that I'm learning magic from someone else. And according to her,_ Kemetic_ egos are big but fragile.

Anyway, yes, I am basically now a novice. Or a rookie, or something. Lucas can't really call me a scribe yet and Clemence just didn't bother with calling me something; well I'm not a wizard, warlock, or even a magician according to her. She called me an 'it' which blows.

One juicy bit of learning magic, I found out that my elemental affinity is, and promise me you won't laugh, _cheese_. Yes, cheese. I don't know (yet) if it's best suited for battle magic, but I do know that it has its perks.

One of which is me, with experience and mastery, being able to control the _other_ four elements to an adequate degree–not spectacularly, but not that bad either. This is because, according to Clemence (Lucas' explanation confused me when I asked him) the cheese element basically meant that I was of _neutral_ affinity. I may never be able to summon pillars of fire, like the way Moses did, but I _can_ summon fire if I practiced hard enough.

I also learned how to make, or smith, jewelry–in an above-average kind of way. It's apparently my specialty. It's sort of comparable to the Per Anhk's _sau_, or amulet makers, which I am sort of _okay_ with, amulet-making, that is. I mean, the amulet's I've made are definitely sturdy physically and magically, but that was just the extent of my power. I've been practicing on inscribing magic on clothes, but most of them have exploded and/or disintegrated because of my inadequacy. If I plan to specialize in magic-embedding disciplines (which I am considering, by the way) like weapon-blessing and armor-charming, I had to make sure that I have to be quite proficient in runic symbology and magical transcription. Besides, being a jeweler sounds like a pretty neat job.

The juiciest piece of them all was that, with Clemence's supervision, I was able to experiment with magic. Played with it by trying to mix certain magicks from the two pantheons. I have taken the great parts of the two disciplines and tried to mix them together, but it was a trial-and-error thing, and quite a lot of these experiments resulted in huge failures, but some of them were pretty successful. Like… well, I shouldn't tell you yet. Magic is a temperamental medium, and the knowledge of the mystic arts is not something people should toy with carelessly.

It's not all good news, however. Since I've been tempering with magic of two different Houses, Clemence tells me that I can never truly master each of the Pantheon's specific magic brand. But, really, that's fine with me; for me, it is better to know enough on both field than be an expert in one and a fool in others. I bet someone's gonna quote that.

Besides, magic is a continuous learning process, filled with many failures. But I try to learn from those mistakes. I am learning to adapt. To be imaginative. To do the unconventional. So screw being a grand master. If I get to be a wild card, then I'd consider that a victory.

Though, I'd be the first to admit that I am _far_ from an expert, but I am confident, I really am, that if I do my best, I'll keep on improving. Besides, my _Grimoire_ would definitely help.

What do you mean you don't know what _Grimoires_ are?

…I forgot. I'm sorry. I was just used to talking to Lucas and Clemence all the time.

A _Grimoire_ is a special book made by a magic wielder for his own use. Kind of like a wand from Harry Potter. Except a _Grimoire_ can be shared to certain others provided that the owner would command it. Think of a magical iPhone specifically created for a magician. It also amplifies the caster's magic because _Grimoires_, or the _Books of Shadows_ from those Wicces, can be used to store magical reserves, where a magician, if his energy has been depleted, can replenish his reserves. It can also be used to store premade runic inscriptions, act as a conduit of the more dangerous spells, and it can obviously store knowledge and information, as well as being a portable canvas for hieroglyphs and stuff (especially since the book's pages are now unlimited-don't ask how that is, but trust me, it's unlimited). Actually there are a lot more uses of a _Grimoire_, but I don't want to bore you with the details as they would… eh… bore you.

Remember that notebook where I write all of my notes? Apparently, according to Clemence, after I imbued a small portion of my life force on it, it became as my _Grimoire_. With me writing there all the time, and trying to test all of my concocted inks there, it just turned that way. That's how I got mine.

Actually, with time, a magician's book can naturally become a _Grimoire_. Also, with time, some _Grimoires_ gain sentience, some could even be turned as their scepters and staffs and swords and stuff. But that's high level stuff that I can only dream to do.

The most important thing of having a _Grimoire_, I believe, is that it can be used to store my _contracts_ or Pacts. Remember when Sarah, the wood nymph, gave me a flower and told me to press it on my notebook? That was actually my very first Pact. Specifically, a Pact is a link you build with magical creatures while Contracts are the inscribed manifestations of Pacts. That page that had Sarah's drawing in my _Grimoire_? That was a Contract.

Clemence was thoroughly impressed that I managed to even get a Pact when I told her about it, and due to that, she's now also teaching me how to harness those Pacts.

"Theodore?" Gone were the days when Clemence looked at me like I was an insect. Well, she still did that from time to time, when I somehow ended up doing something 'stupid', but at least she respects me (even if it's a little) now.

I looked at her.

"Is something the matter?" we were in the middle of my lessons, and today, well, I wasn't paying attention as I normally would. My fingers again were fondling with Daphne's bracelet and she took notice of that.

"What is that?"

"It's… just a bracelet."

"I know that you good-for-nothing imbecile." Her eyes narrowed into slits, "I meant, what are you doing with an artefact like that?"

"This?" I was uneasy about relaying the whole story, "Someone gave it to me."

"_Gave_ it to you?"

I nodded.

She walked towards me, "May I see it?" she extends a hand and I unclasp the wristlet and give it to her.

"This is…" she gasped but composed herself quickly, "I see. Now I get it." She smiled, thinking of something faraway, "Now I understand why she summoned me to you."

She closes her eyes, breathes something into the bracelet before handing it back to me, "Farewell, old friend."

Okay, weird. Very weird. "By any chance," I told her uneasily, "Do you recognize this?" I clip the bracelet back on and it tingle again as it touched my skin.

"I used to." She tells me vaguely, "Or, should I say, I probably did."

After that she ends our session. And by that, she kicked me out of her shop. It was very peculiar of her, not the kicking part because she always does that to me, I mean her wanting to be alone. In any case, she gave me my assignments and summoned a book from a far bookcase. The antique shop's Mist has been spelled in a way that wouldn't raise any questions about my magical training. There was actually a time when I managed to make my ink mixture explode and the people around me and outside of the shop didn't notice it.

Anyway, the book, she hands it to me, tells me it is a book about Pacts. She then ushers me out of the shop, "…just be sure to read it, and we'll work on practicing it on our next session."

I nod at her, putting her book in my backpack, along with my _Grimoire_ before sending my backpack into the Duat. It's much safer there, and much safer to me against monsters, since monsters are attracted to the radiating force exerted by _Grimoires_ if I had it around me.

I was planning to go home, wondering why Clemence sent me home early, if not for my phone ringing.

I stopped by the mall and went straight to Burger King . I was supposed to meet Tony there.

To be honest, seeing him for the first time since the last incident was nerve-wracking. I have been avoiding him, for obvious reasons. Like his safety, and probably that burnt bridge that is my friendship with him. Actually, I've been limiting the people I'm hanging out with; I've only been around my mom (when I'm at home, because my home has been properly monster-warded by Clemence herself) and Lucas and Clemence. Yes, that's sad. But it is a price to pay for the safety of the people, as well as the price of me learning something as dangerous as magic, and being the temporary holder of a dangerous (read: monster attracting) artefact.

I'd like to think that this wasn't a permanent arrangement. I figured once Daphne got a hold of her bracelet, all's going to return to normal.

Seated on an inconspicuous part of the fast food joint, I waited for Tony.

A couple of minutes, he arrives and I stare at him.

"Are you avoiding me, Theo?" was the first thing he tells me.

"Wha-what?" Busted.

"Have you been avoiding me?"

I really wanted to say that I wasn't avoiding him, that I've busied myself with the fencing training and the magical schooling, but really, I have been avoiding him. Lots of people actually. "I'm sorry."

"Why?" he asks.

"I did it for you. For your safety; I'm attracting monsters, Tony." Technically, not a lie, but I didn't want to get the specifics with my friend, "And for your safety, and everyone else around me, I choose to be… not around often. I don't want what happened last time to happen again."

"That-"

…then I felt it. The overwhelming presence of… something. A strong feeling of despair and and dis-harmony. I didn't get to properly understand what my friend was telling because the power of whatever I was feeling was overwhelming.

Daphne's bracelet was also reacting to the strong presence. But instead of heating up, the bracelet grew colder. So cold that it felt like it was stinging me.

"Theo?"

I was shaking. Visibly. The last time I felt like this was when I was dreaming about…

.

_Crap_.

.

"Theo?"

Should I look for it? Or should I run?

.

_I… I_…

.

"I need to go."

Apologizing profusely to Tony, I quickly left the place and summoned my _Grimoire_ from the Duat. I opened my book to Sarah's contract and summoned her. The people would probably not see me doing this weird thing because the Mist usually masked that all on its own. I learned a little about manipulating the Mist, after all. They could probably see me holding a book, for all I know.

Some leaves flew around me before piling up in front of me. They clumped together and a second later, Sarah was looking back at me. Most of the time while I was with Clemence, I was practicing to summon my Pact, and whenever I summoned Sarah, she was always smiling at me, acting like I was her younger brother. This time, it was different. And our solemn faces didn't need explaining.

"Theo."

I nodded, "Yes, I feel it too."

"Then let's run." Sarah told me, "This is something beyond our combined ability can comprehend."

"I… I want to know where it is. I want to see it."

"Are you crazy?" Sarah yelled.

"I've… I just want to make sure."

She looked into my eyes, really looked, "Okay. But we have to be careful."

Sarah turned to the trees, as if she was hearing something they were saying. Perhaps, I will never hear what they were saying, but that's something Sarah was capable of doing for me.

Sarah gasped, "Theo, you wouldn't like this."

* * *

I reached the place where I felt the power. I had to take a bus to the neighboring town; and for me to have felt such a force from my hometown means that this power, this being, was a very powerful one. A god perhaps?

Tony tried to follow me, but I quickly cast a sleeping charm on him so he wouldn't be in harm's way. He was out cold for a couple of hours inside his truck, and to be safe, I even sent a text to his mom that he would be busy for a couple of hours just so his parents wouldn't find it weird if he wouldn't answer his phone.

The place, according to Sarah, was not far from the bus terminal. It was the private library of Lucas' family. It was burning, the surrounding earth was cracked (like lighting had strike it dozens of times), and most of the windows had been shattered. The police and fire department were already there and the bystanders were watching the scene unfold.

All throughout the building were explosions and dancing colored lights.

The police, no one actually, didn't seem to notice me when I ran to the building because the Mist was thicker than usual.

The front door was busted open, and the entire lobby was trashed.

"Lucas! Lucas!" I called out in the flames. The entire second and third floor was obliterated and the cloudy skies were seen above. I tried to call out, to any survivor, to anyone who could hear me but no dice. It was getting harder and harder to breathe.

Summoning my magical book, for my magical reserves wouldn't be enough for what I am about to do, and called out a simple water summoning charm. I was not proficient with the element but I've practiced enough that I managed to dispel quite a lot of the fires the fire department was not able to see through the mist. Except those green flames, they have weird properties. And they burned hotter than the normal flames.

I thought of summoning Sarah but decided against it. Dryads were weak against fire after all.

I sent my _Grimoire_ back to the Duat and ran around the place.

"So, let me ask you one last time. Are you with us, fence sitters, or are you against us?" a voice said, crackling in evil laughter as I neared the place that was once, probably, the kiddie book section of the library.

I heard a spitting sound, and some loud shouting. One of the voices sounded familiar.

"Lucas?"

The voices led to the study of Lucas' father. Inside, I saw half a dozen people, whom I don't know, crowding someone lying on the floor.

My eyes widened when I realized whom they were surrounding. Lucas. It was him. He was beaten black and blue. His unconscious parents were in another corner, injured but in a state far better than their son. In the assembled group, I think I knew one of them. Sarah Jacobi, I recalled. But she looked disheveled that crazy-sadistic glint in her eyes scaring me like the time when I first met her.

Yep, I know her. I mean, I have seen her, Lucas says she visits them all the time. Though, to be honest, I've only seen her once before. Based on the behavior Lucas and his family showed when she was here the last time, I could think that they didn't have good ties. And then I learned that she was part of the internal conflict happening in the Per Ankh; she was going against Carter Kane, though I do not know what they were disputing, but it must be pretty intense.

Lucas saw me, despite being injured and in pain. He then mouthed out for me to run.

Sarah looked at me, "More people you care about?" She laughed, "More people for me to annihilate?" She raised a hand, and a fire, a scorching hot fire erupted from the tips of her fingers.

Lucas screaming my name was the last thing I heard as I closed my eyes and expected the worst.

But then, it didn't happen. The worst never came. The fire didn't touch me. I opened my eyes and saw a rapidly shrinking shield barrier surrounding me. It was still hot, the barrier not being able to probably totally save me from the heat generated by the flame.

I wondered what was happening first, but then I remembered the shirt Clemence had given to me at the start of my magical training. I wore it underneath my woolly sweater, but I can see it glowing with glyph-like markings. She always insisted that I wear the shirt all the time, even charmed it so that it's virtually always clean. Now I understand why.

The barrier seemed pretty solid, but I wasn't taking any chances that it'll hold forever, so I rolled away from the fire's line of sight.

Most of my outer clothing was singed and I probably had at least second degree burns from being submerged in the fires, but I was alive. "What the hell?" I told her, as I realize that part of my woolly sweater got caught in a fire.

I took a hard look at Sarah Jacobi and her allies. They were all looking at me in shock, but Sarah's face immediately shifted into amusement.

Lucas tried to sit up, relief evident on his beat-up face.

"Why are you doing this?" I asked her, and she didn't reply, only to repeat her gesture again. The shield formed again around me, and like before I rolled again.

Since this crazy person didn't want to listen, I decided to summon my _Grimoire_ again from the Duat and do this using her method. Violence. I brought out the same marker I used for magical writing from my pocket, filled with my ink, a certain mixture I concocted sometime ago after learning the basics of ink mixing. I haven't tested it out yet, and I was hoping that it wouldn't fail me now.

Quickly, I wrote the Egyptian hieroglyphs for 'explode' on a small rock and hurled it at her. I know for a fact that her magical prowess far outmatches mine, considering she wordlessly and vaguely summoned those fire earlier, but I think, if I put my mind into it, I could outsmart her.

The rock exploded like a grenade with a loud and bright bang. Unfortunately, one of Sarah's lackeys saw through my tactics and erected a pretty solid barrier. But it didn't really matter because that wasn't the main purpose of that stunt; the dust picked up and obscured everyone's vision. That was what I was after, disorienting them a bit. I was sure not all of them fell into my trap, but I'm betting at least one of them did.

With their vision obscured, I can now freely use the magicks Clemence had been teaching me. Opening my _Grimoire_, I called upon my Contract with Sarah the wood nymph. She didn't manifest in front of me because that's what I tried to tell her mentally (I think our Pact granted some degree of telepathy between us, and this telepathy thing has happened more than once). Instead, using her power, I channeled her ability to animate and control plant life, like Katie to some degree, to create moving vines and tree trunks and roots.

"What's that?" One of the nome's assailants asked, feeling the ground rumble and crack. After this incident, the police and fire department would all be 'wtf' with all the charred and _un-burned_ vines, tree trunks and roots in odd angles I left behind in the Master's Study.

Somehow, and thankfully, I managed to snare a couple of the assailants. Three of them, to be exact. But I didn't get to celebrate because Sarah Jacobi summoned her fire again and burned the plants I sent into her direction into ashes.

The whole 'epic battle' as I like to call it, sadly, lasted for a few seconds. With the dust settling in and the other non-ensnared people trying to break their companions free from the bindings of my flora, I knew already that I was losing the battle.

But I kept up with my dangerous dance with Sarah Jacobi, thanking Clemence for making me wear my special shirt (because more than once, it was a close call to becoming a pile of ashes) and teaching me magic. I was also thankful with all the physical training I've done to myself, even if the battle was a short-lived one, knowing that I had developed the proper stamina and endurance as well as agility and finesse to dodge, roll, sidestep and duck all of her powerful spells, because my special shirt's magical barrier seemed to be growing smaller as well-placed, unavoidable spells were aimed towards me.

I knew I had some degree of edge over them because they didn't know the extent of my powers. That was my thought a few moments ago when I decided to take on six _fully-trained_ _kemetic_ scribes, but that edge, my improved physique, my quick thinking weren't enough to put the tide of the battle into my favor.

With the energies I was burning off trying to magically keep up with Sarah's assault, I was using up twice as fast and twice as many of my energy. I was injured; the second and/or third degree burns I got were having a blast with sending my body in excruciating pain. I was running out of surprises from my brand of magic that I could use against the Per Ankh scribes, and the three magicians I've ensnared from my plants, were freed and had joined the battle.

I was really losing.

With all the heat Sarah Jacobi summoned to my direction, Daphne's cold bracelet was like a comfort that I didn't want to admit out loud.

"Give up now, druid," she told me after my knees gave up on exhaustion. She bound me with a spell, summoned one sickle sword (or khopesh) and tauntingly walked to my direction.

She stood in front of my bound body and gave me the most _annoying_ taunting look I have _ever_ seen. You know, like when someone was so smug you just wanted to wipe their faces with your fists? Yeah, that's what I felt.

"Because one way or another, you're gonna die before my hand." She smiled something that would've been cutesy if she wasn't so smug and so evil and so _annoying_ and placed her sword over my heart. "Which is sad, because here, I thought I just got my first experience of meeting those rare barbaric druids."

My heart was beating so fast now, not because I wasn't afraid to die, but I know, deep down that I wasn't scared of _her_, it's her _killing_ me that did. From where Lucas was being held at, English and something that sounded like Egyptian curses were heard coming from my friend's mouth.

Sarah looked at Lucas, and like a sore winner itching to gloat her prize, smiled so annoyingly disgusting, that I just wished I was more powerful to care of this person. "Do be quiet, dear Lucas, you are representing a nome from the esteemed House of Life." she raised a condescending finger, "Manners matter."

"Go to hell," I told her, struggling through my restrains. It was weird, seeing nothing surrounding you but feeling like you've been tied by a steel-like rope. I'm not usually this antagonistic, believe me, I'm not, but something about Sarah Jacobi that makes me wanna trashtalk her.

"I'm afraid," Sarah said smugly, her voice sickeningly sweet, "that that is a privilege you're about to get first." She raised her sword, "Farewell."

I closed my eyes, and...

.

"Not to fast."

.

And the sword from Sarah Jacobi's hand was sent flying to another direction. I looked up and saw Clemence. She looked angry, and murderous. Static were dancing around her as she took her steps closer to us.

Sarah looked at Lucas, that sickening smile on her face present, "Conforming with other tribes now, my dear Lucas?" The boy didn't answer, "You do know that's punishable by death."

She looked at her allies, then to Sarah, "Upholding the sacred laws of the Per Ankh, I Sarah Jacobi, executioner of the wicked, deem the 87th nome tainted," she extended her hand, and the khopesh that was flown away from her returned to her hand, "and shall be purged from the sands of time." She then said something in Egyptian and a stronger and more intense fire erupted from the tip of her sword, "And I'll start with you, bitc-"

Clemence waved a hand, and the fire was redirected to another direction. "I've often wondered just how weak the House of Life's become." She smiled in a way that was feral and predatory, "I didn't think it was this bad."

"Fool!" a man beside Sarah yelled. "You dare insult the Per Ankh in front of the head magician herself?"

"She's the leader?" Clemence chuckled. She pointed to fingers at them and suddenly, all six of them were in a binding curse. Everyone got caught in the trick except for Sarah, who broke the charm.

"Nice parlor tricks," Sarah commented, looking as if she just was commenting a little kid.

The following minutes would be the best and coolest magical display of prowess and experience: the two women commanded magics I can never fathom to ever accomplish. Clemence summoned pillars of ice as big as light posts, and she hurled them like they were toothpicks to Sarah. The _kemetic_ scribe in turn made fire and the earth dance and bend at her will.

And the unsettling part of it all was Clemence, who's form was that of Lucas' age, merely looked like she was playing with the worst noob ever to grace the known universe. And I'm not even exaggerating here.

"Is that _all_ the magic you command?" Ooh, Clemence knew how to push Sarah's buttons alright. Sarah let out this frustrated wail and hurled a huge boulder at her. Clemence, whose eyes started to glow a bright sapphire, changed the boulder into a bundle of purple anemone flowers. Clemence then formed a huge, thick block of ice behind Sarah and materialized chains to bind her.

The _kemetic_ didn't see it coming; her ankles were caught first and she fell, face first, on the ground. Her arms soon followed. Sarah struggled a little, but Clemence cast another binding spell on her, her whole body turning rigid.

"Pathetic." Clemence turned around and came to my aid. She broke the spell I was in and helped be sit up.

Bound to a block of ice, immobilized and staring at the person's back who bested you... Dear God, Clemence really knew how to add the 'dis' in 'disrespect.'

For sure, if she knew what it is, she'd start T-bagging her. Or maybe she's already doing that?

I tried to stand up with her help. "Easy there, your energy reserves are pretty low."

When I could stand on my own two feet, Clemence walked to the neck-down paralyzed Sarah Jacobi, "Like I said, is _that_ all the magic you command?"

Sarah was strangely quiet, her mouth looking like she's mumbling something. I didn't get to observe them much because I went to my friend Lucas' aid. He was a little out of it, probably concussed or something but I knew he needed help, for sure.

Just then, I felt the eeriest and strangest thing. The worst bad feeling I've ever felt. Ever. Sarah Jacobi's eyes... I think I saw something in them. Something inhumane, but only for just a second because she started to emit this negative energy. And I mean anti-harmonious or anti-positive energy; something's that's a magical impossibility since magic is the manipulation of _Creation_ and of what is created. This presence emanating from the _Kemtic _scribe felt... _voiding_.

You see, in the magic that both Lucas and Clemence taught me, it is impossible (and I mean the 'should and could never be' type of impossible) to return something to it's _Nothingness_. Sure something can be destroyed, but just like in our sciences, in magic, destroying something meant undergoing physical or chemical change, or where magic is involved, magical change. This power, though I strangely have a sense of familiarity to it, and while I am not as experienced as both Clemence and Lucas, felt like...

.

_my dreams..._

_._

Clemence stepped back, "This is..."

"Power?" Sarah's chains simply vanished, no poof, no explosions, simply _faded _out.

The aching fear, the same one from my dreams, returned. The paralyzing and overwhelming power that made me tremble on my knees was back. But this time, it felt _more_. More powerful, more menacing.

"I'll show you true power." And the pillar of ice faded out.

Clemence's face was unreadable, "So that's the game you play now?" she flipped and/or floated to my general direction, "imbecilic scribe, this will be your downfall."

Sarah, I saw and heard, merely smiled not like herself and laughed in a voice not quite herself. An imposing aura, like being submerged in deep water, was what I felt afterwards.

Then, before everything turned black, I saw Clemence doing this thing with her hands before the floor beneath us glowing, and me losing my footing.

* * *

When I came to, I find myself back in the shop of Clemence. In the backroom where she taught me magic.

"Urgh..." I tried to stand, "What happened? How did..." Someone beside me groaned.

It was Lucas. His parents were beside him, unconscious.

Lucas tried to looked at his surroundings, but his face was beated to a pulp and his good eye (the one that could still be opened) was only able to be opened just a little bit. I went to his aid, "Careful, you're hurt."

"What happened? And who was that who saved us?"

Clemence entered the room. She was carrying a tray of four glasses of water. I looked at her as she handed me a glass. "Drink this." Her tone was different; she sounded concerned and worried.

Hesitantly, I took a sip. Then a gulp, then drank the entire glass in one go.

I couldn't help it. It didn't taste like water at all. Tasted like my mom's cooking, her specialty mac and cheese that I always love to eat. I suppose it's weird to drink something that tasted like your favorite food, but in my tired, exhausted and injured state, it gave me relief. I know I've tried Lucas' great tasting water, but this was nothing like that. I felt... rejuvenated. And dare I say, way better than before.

What's strange is that the injuries I got from fighting Sarah Jacobi, the burns and cuts and bruises, felt like they were fading. I also didn't feel the effects one was supposed to get when they lost a lot of blood because it felt like I never did lose a lot of blood. But I knew I did because my torn and burnt clothes was caked with _my_ dried blood.

Lucas and Clemence didn't seem to see what was happening to me because Clemence was trying to make Lucas drink her concoction.

"I won't drink that until you answer my question!" he demanded, totally not the usual easy-going and collected Lucas that I was used to.

"...Fine!" Clemence grumbled, "What is it that you want to ask?"

"That thing you did to get us here, that was a teleportation spell." Lucas hissed, "How is it that you command such magicks?"

Clemence didn't answer, "A girl has secrets."

Deeming him difficult, she snapped her fingers and Lucas froze, "That's much better." She titled his head back, opened his lips and steadily poured the water into his mouth. Lucas had no choice but to swallow it, and to my amazement, his injuries started to heal at an alarming rate. Like what happened to Daphne when she drank Katie's Nectar. I never saw my injuries heal, since I was busy drinking the thing that Clemence made me drink, but seeing injuries heal on the spot as Lucas swallowed was definitely something.

Clemence proceeded to do the same to Lucas' parents, but more gently this time. By ten minutes, my and Lucas' injuries were healed and was bandaged properly. His face was less bloated and swollen and the huge gashes he'd acquired were now just sensitive pinkish skin. With any luck, I think it wouldn't even leave a scar.

When she was bandaging our injuries, I asked if we could just drink the concoction again but Clemence said something about not abusing the power her concoction has over healing then something else in a language I cannot comprehend. My body still didn't have the energy to move, but at least it didn't hurt all over. Lucas was probably feeling the same because he was laying quietly on the cot he was in.

Clemence returned, and this time she handed me a murky, miso-like, bowl of liquid that I was supposed to drink. She went to the ingredients section of the room, the one with the... exotic _things_.

"What did you make us drink?" Lucas asked.

"Nectar." Wait, the drink of the gods? The one with healing properties? But I thought they'd burns us? I mean I held a thermos full of Nectar once and it burn the heck out of my hand. Lucas and I am mortal, so...

"I diluted it of course. One teaspoon of Nectar in one hundred thousand units of water." She must've seen my looks because she was staring at me as she said it.

That is a good theory, so if things are not suitable for mortals, diluting it is a good way to make it accessible.

"Just who are you?" Lucas was looking at her curiously.

Clemence just smiled, "You could say I'm a time traveler. But if that's how you say 'thank you', then you're welcome."

* * *

DISCLAIMER:** The following is a work of FICTION**

**The events, characters and names are fictional and/or derived from real mythology**

**and the Percy Jackson and Kane Chronicles series are owned by Rick Riordan**

**By writing this fanfic, no offense is intended to anyone**


	21. Daphne: Chapter 21

Title: _**My Hard to Believe Mythological Experience**_

Chapter 21: Meeting Theo Again

* * *

To be an _**Einherjar**_

a hero must die a most _noble_ and selfless death.

A _**valkyrie**_ chooses her _**einherjar**_

but what happens when her current incarnation is _incomplete_?

* * *

I had just arrived in the town where I was supposed to meet Theo. The bus came to a stop and I stretched my numb muscle while waiting for the other passengers to leave before exiting the vehicle myself. An eleven hour ride made my body stiff, but seeing as it was eleven hours, I've had plenty of time to rest and sleep.

The air was fresh, or as fresh as a bus terminal in the countryside, and the weather was warm but windy. My hometown was a another bus ride away, but I didn't want to face my parents yet. Plus there's this bounty over my head. And goodness knows what type of evil I could attract to my hometown. So no, despite missing mom and dad dearly, no visiting yet.

Astrid and Michael were feeling a bit grumpy and angsty being cooped up in me for so long so I released them and let them have break.

"Gods, that felt nice..." Michael stretched his arms and smelled the fresh air.

"I agree, being a spirit lingering inside a body you do not own can be quite tiring." Now dressed in jeans and a white blouse, one would now think that Astrid was some sort of uppity social elite from London or something (with her diction and all) and not the 16th century Dame that she really is, or worse, the kamikaze warrior that she was in battle.

You know, I found out that Einherjars, by the extent of their spirit, can outfit their erm... battle armor, on their will. Kind of like those Sailor Moon transformations I watched when I was a kid. And since Astrid didn't really have a civilian form, well, that was the sole purpose of me going on a shopping spree for her. Yes, I sometimes like being a girly girl, so please, let me be.

Picking up my carry-on, "Let's go find a place to stay." I told my two companions.

"Yes, I would like to go to that place with that magical waterfall." Astrid meant the bathroom, particularly the shower area of the bathroom. Astrid, being an older girl became something of an elder sister figure to me, and we bonded over her teaching me a few things in sword fighting, that shopping spree I told you about, and believe it or not, indoor plumbing.

The indoor plumbing was probably because it wasn't invented yet in her time, but I'm not sure myself. Well, at least she's taken a liking to bathing (even if it was on the unhealthy side).

"You do that, while I should go around town and scout the area for any... nasties." While Astrid had great strides in her developmental aspect, Michael was the exact opposite: he stayed in his pervy-sounding (and sometimes just pervy) ways. Though he did his job properly, more than I care to admit actually, so I can't really see him in a bad light.

Anyway, yes, he usually does the monster scouting whenever we arrive at a new location, that way we can anticipate any monster attack that could happen.

"Just be back before lunch." I told him as he ran to another direction. Another thing I found out about being... me... is that when I'm hungry, Gold's einherjar gets hungry. Worse, they get weaker. In fact, there was a time when I got a fever, and Astrid and Michael felt so weak and nauseated that without notice, they just vanished and returned to me. So yeah, me being weak makes my einherjars weak.

By the time Michael returned to the hotel I picked (he can sense my location so no biggie) it was already past noon. The hotel was cheap, inconspicuous but comfortable. The money we used for the rent was from raiding the secret place from the underground catacombs from Seattle; you see, I felt bad that we were using the Mist to get everything for free, that I felt like I was cheating all the hardworking people. We sold some of the antiques we found in the place and earned, erm... let's just say earn enough money to make me feel comfortable for months. Though we did use the Mist as to not raise suspicion as to how we got such valuable things. But only in clouding their suspicions. I let the right people appraise the stuff we got for a good deal without using dirty tricks.

"So, did you find anything?" Astrid asked conversationally. Full-on poise and elegance. We were having lunch in the ground floor restaurant of the hotel.

If Astrid was sophisticated and had social graces, Michael, again, was the opposite. He ate like it was no one's business. Astrid, at first called him boorish and was disgusted by his manners, but our time together, well, she's learned to live with it. "This town's pretty quiet. No significant hostile monsters. And the easy ones were disposed off already, but just like the others, they were reforming too quickly." That's something bothering me: monsters have been reforming far too quickly nowadays. I don't know what was happening and why it was happening but something big was brewing and I can only hope that I wouldn't get tangled in the mess.

Micheal then started this spiel about lack of a challenge or something, I didn't really hear what he was saying because I was more focused on the steak sauce on his lower lip. Sometimes I wonder if he's really a demigod of Apollo. I'm pretty sure the sun-god didn't approve of such terrible manners.

He swallowed what he was chewing, "I also saw a Per Ankh base here."

That will mark the fourth House of Life base I've I'll know about in the US.

I looked at him, "Let's avoid that place for now, so we should lay low while we're here." I didn't tell them about the internal affairs going on in the House but they pretty much didn't think too much about the Per Ankh. Michael never knew they existed until he became an einherjar, and Astrid? Well, she knew of a rumor back when she was alive about them so she wasn't really surprised.

Astrid sipped her drink, "You are meeting that Theodore child later, are you not?" Michael looked at me weirdly so I kicked him under the table.

"Ow..."

"I'll be meeting him in a nearby museum later, until then you guys are free to do whatever you like."

Michael smiled his pervy smile, "Oooh, our little lady has a _date_." I kicked him again, extra hard this time, and smiled sweetly at his discomfort. He was asking for it. I regret nothing.

"Anyway, like I said, lay low." And with that, we continued our meal.

* * *

I was listening to the prepaid tour I got from buying the entrance tickets for the museum. According to the tour guide, there was a new collection of war relics from some war from the Byzantinian empire.

I was looking at a sword in display when I felt a tug.

I wasn't really _that_ surprised though. Museums are like houses of honor for the Valkyrie. It's like a grocery store for them, filled with different kinds of einherjars. It's the same with hospitals and cemeteries, but it's less morbid. Such places give me this weird tug on my gut that, on more than one occasion, being close to them made me nauseated. In fact, just me nearing the entrance of this place made me weak on the knees because of the overwhelming presence of potential einherjars. I had to sit down for a moment to get my cool and concentration before all the voices in my head were gone.

The sword dimly glowed for a while, and maybe only I saw it because the people didn't really notice anything weird going on, before I heard some indecipherable language in my head. Gold told me that there were many languages created by mortals. Many of these languages have been forgotten, either because of war, extinction or because of natural selection or maybe because they incurred the wrath of their gods, but the fact remains that in order for spirits to become einherjar, Valkyries need to communicate with them first, so Odin (or was it Freya?) blessed the Choosers of the Slain with the power to impart language. Or made the Valkyries understand what the said einherjar was saying, I got confused with Gold's explanation.

Gold told me to concentrate, so I did. The voices in my head then started to make sense.

"What is going on?" the voice was undoubtedly male, a deep but young voice, with an accent. Russian maybe?

Before my eyes, a young man, chiseled, broad and intimidating, materialized in front of me. He was pale and had a healthy amount of facial blemishes. His eyes were sharp and piercing, like the stormy sea, and his hair was funnily shoulder length.

"Chooser of the Slain." his arms crossed and looked down on me.

"Well," I shifted my foot uneasily, "a reincarnated one." I suppose my jeans and sneakers didn't really intimidate anyone.

Astrid and Michael came to me, flanking me on both sides. Michael was slurping some jumba juice, wearing a ridiculous pinwheel hat that he bought from the museum's souvenir shop. He's, like, eighteen or something so it's ridiculous. "This a new recruit?"

I shrugged.

"I suppose it would not hurt having another warrior in our ranks." Astrid said, looking at the man, sizing him up. Clad in slim jeans and a white blouse, you'd _really_ not expect her as the Xena-like warrior that she is in battle.

"Should I not have a say in this?" The translucent spirit asked, "I mean, you are talking about me."

I laughed, "We're not really looking for other people, but you're welcome to join us."

The young man appeared to be thinking it over. "Well seeing as I am surrounded by my enemies, I do not have much of a choice."

"Enemies?" I asked.

"I fight for Oleg of Kiev when I was alive." He told us. Again, I am reminded of my not-so-awesome academic background, particularly not learning these things in world history. Michael, apparently, understood his quip and laughed.

"And I know I do not wish to spend any more time around the killers of my kingdom" he sighed, "I submit."

The sword that was on display, the one that was this young man's anchor, glowed and levitated.

Then the security alarms blared.

In retrospect, I am never picking an einherjar from a museum ever again.

I was caught surprised by the levitating sword that Michael laughed at me, saying something about my face looking like it got hit by a shovel. That was the mellow part, Astrid screamed like a banshee, summoned her sword and started breaking stuff-as if her lady manners never existed. I should also add that the sword in display somehow managed to break through the protective glass and flew right into my hand, effectively making me a burglar in the eyes of... well, everyone.

Good thing Gold decided to intervene, using the Mist to cover up the mess, because I don't know what would've happened if she didn't.

By the time the situation died down, and Michael stopped laughing his pervy laugh and Astrid stopped screaming like the world was ending, I realized that I was supposed to be meeting Theodore any minute now.

So I ran as fast as I could.

Our meeting place was a cafe in the museum. I was seated in an inconspicuous place, my back turned from the door, when I felt a tap on my shoulder.

* * *

DISCLAIMER:** The following is a work of FICTION**

**The events, characters and names are fictional and/or derived from real mythology**

**and the Percy Jackson and Kane Chronicles series are owned by Rick Riordan**

**By writing this fanfic, no offense is intended to anyone**


	22. Theodore: Chapter 22

Title: _**My Hard to Believe Mythological Experience**_

Chapter 22: Meeting Daphne Again

* * *

To be an _**Einherjar**_

a hero must die a most _noble_ and selfless death.

A _**valkyrie**_ chooses her _**einherjar**_

but what happens when her current incarnation is _incomplete_?

* * *

I was eating breakfast at home when I realized that I was meeting Daphne today. I would've remembered it if it weren't for the attack at Lucas' Nome sometime ago.

Lucas and his family were doing fine. Clemence did a great job at patching them up.

I wish I could say the same with my friendship with the Nome's head. You see, upon finding out about me learning magic from Clemence, Lucas blew a fuse. He expressed hurt at me finding other tutors. He was also disappointed at me for some reason that I cannot understand - though, Clemence pointed out that it was his _Kemetic_ pride that was hurt, whatever that meant.

Still, with all that's been said and done, I thought it was best for me to give Lucas and his family their distance. Their much-needed time to grieve over their losses. Besides, I had the manuals given by Lucas and Clemence so it wasn't really hurting my magical learning.

"I'm going out today, mom." Speaking of which, my mom found out about the library through the news. Thankfully, I was seated beside her when it was aired, else my mom would've started fussing.

Anyway, it's the summer vacation and my mom knew that I'd rather go out than spend my day alone at home, seeing as she was working today.

"Okay son, be careful."

I nodded and finished my food.

* * *

You know, at first, I thought I was just gonna go meet Daphne, give back her bracelet and go back home. But as the morning dragged on, and the afternoon came, I was coming to the realization that I actually want to hang out with her.

'Cause, you know, I feel like she gets me. With all that's happened, I mean.

Why are you looking at me like I meant that in another way? I'm ignoring you now.

By the time I finished showering, it's also becoming apparent that I was putting too much effort into my clothes. No, my outer appearance. It's like I'm preparing for a date, even though I'm not because I somehow decided to wear my best-looking clothes. Even went so far as style my hair. When really, I shouldn't be.

Urgh, this is aggravating.

And stop giving me those goo-goo eyes. It's not a date. I only want to be presentable because I'm going to a place that would most like kick me out should I look like a hobo again.

I looked at my reflection. Maybe the checkered button-up was overkill? They don't really fit my personal style too. I took it off, and after much internal conflict, I decided to just screw my clothing selection and settled with a plain monochromatic blue shirt. Running a hand over my slightly-tame-slightly-tousled hair, I sized myself up: dark, slightly fitting jeans, worn-in sneakers and my shirt. There, I look normal and presentable. And not like I raided my closet for half an hour trying to look for decent clothes. Nobody needed to know that though.

Grumbling to myself, I grabbed my phone and wallet, checked if the house was all locked up properly, checked if sockets were unplugged, double-checked the locks again, grabbed my set of keys and made my way out the house.

I was supposed to meet Daphne in a museum in a nearby town after lunch. It took a thirty minute bus ride to get there, and by the time I was out of the bus, I was supposed to meet her for another half hour. I quickly regretted stressing over my clothes because I took too much time on that.

Luckily, the museum was only a short walk from the station, and by the time I was buying my entrance ticket, I think I was on time.

The place we agreed to meet in was the cafe inside the museum. it was a little crowded when I got there but I quickly recognized Daphne's blonde hair in the corner of the room. She was facing the opposite direction, but I had I feeling it was her.

Tensing up, but still eager to see her, I walked to her table and tapped her shoulder.

She looked up at me, and for I second I thought she didn't recognize me.

"Theo," she said, her face devoid of any emotion.

I smiled, albeit stiffly, "Daphne."

She mentioned for the seat in front of her and I sat there. An older-looking but otherwise pretty waitress walked to us, smiling oddly at us, and took our orders. I just ordered an orange juice while she asked for a cup of warm tea.

"So..." I said as the waitress walked away, giggling. I unclasped the bracelet - _her_ bracelet - and ran my fingers on it one last time before handing it to her. This was my first, and probably my last time, taking the bracelet off after I got it. "Here."

Her tentative fingers touched mine and the skin she touched tingled a bit. She looked at the bracelet for a while before putting it on, "I guess I should thank you for keeping this safe for me."

"I-it was nothing." I couldn't meet her blue eyes because I felt my face heat up.

Our drinks arrived and I swear the old waitress was literally _cooing_ at us.

Gathering my courage, I met her gaze and blurted out, "You look nice." In a long-sleeved blouse and jeans, hair tied in a loose single braid, indeed she looked nice. But, perhaps, my delivery could've been better because I knew I sounded pathetic.

Fortunately, she took it as a compliment because I could see her face turn pinkish, "Thanks," she cleared her throat, "but why are you acting weird."

See, I knew I sounded pathetic, "I'm not acting weird," I said hastily, in a tone that confirmed me being weird. I averted my gaze and looked at the other people in nearby tables.

Suddenly, a young man, older than us, but shorter than me, took a chair from a nearby table and sat in between us, "Oh, so this is your date."

I didn't want to admit it, but I felt threatened by his presence. Specifically my manhood. I mean this guy, despite being vertically challenged, looks so... model-esque. Like a teenage popstar with movie star class looks. Mind you, he looked stupid wearing a pinwheel hat, but I know he looked... _urgh_...

He leaned real close to me, close enough that I think it counts as my personal space being violated, and introduced himself, "I'm Michael by the way. I'm Daphne's-" And then, out of the blue, and I'm not lying, he just vanished with a poof of white light.

My jaw dropped; the man literally just disappeared in front of me.

I looked at Daphne, "Did you see that?"

She was grumbling to herself, "Yeah, and good riddance too." She sipped her drink.

I looked around wondering if people saw it too, but no one seemed to notice. _Mist_, I realized.

"What's going on? What happened to that guy?"

Daphne sighed, "He's fine. I sent him back into me."

"Into you?" I didn't like the mental picture that painted.

"He's my einherjar." she told me, not noticing my discomfort.

Is that French for 'boyfriend'? I wanted to ask, but I couldn't because I had no right. Subsequently, my ego deflated. Until I realized what einherjars are. I mean, I _have_ googled all about Valkyries when I got home months ago. That was the first thing I did, actually.

"Oh." My face mirrored the realization that I was being stupid, "Wait, _your_ einherjar?"

"Gold's." she told me, blushing sheepishly. Oh, so the Valkyrie inside of her.

Somehow, when she said that, I let out a sigh of relief. I didn't know why I was relieved though.

We didn't say anything else after that. We just sipped our drink in silence.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the same old waitress looking at us googly-eyed, all whisper-y with her co-workers, who also kept sneaking glances at us. My face got hot whenever they would giggle at something we'd do.

"How are my parents?"

I looked at her. She must've been terribly missing them. Well, I would, if I was forced to distance myself for their safety.

"They're fine." I wanted to add that they miss her, but I knew too well that I didn't have the right to say that. "I saw them recently, and they seemed fine."

"Oh," came her reply.

I know if I don't saying anything, that would be the end of this conversation and we'll just slip back into that silence, and goodness knows why I want to hear her speak again.

"Is it appropriate to ask what you've been up to?"

She pursed her lips into a thin line, and then I knew that question would be left unanswered.

I sighed, looking out the glass window that separated the cafe from the museum. "I've never been here before. It's nice."

Small talk, I know, but I just didn't like her all silent and stuff.

When she didn't answer, and was all fidgety and quiet and basically pretended that I didn't exist, well, I just gave up. I did try to enjoy the silence between us, no matter how hurt I am in receiving her cold shoulder, but it just felt awkward.

When we finished our beverages, we paid for our drinks (I tried to pay for her, but she turned my efforts down until I gave in to her request of letting her handle her own payment) and stepped out of the cafe.

On my way out of the cafe, I saw the old waitress again, she was looking at us flowing. Kind of like, she was disappointed or something.

I looked at Daphne, tried to smile and said, "Bye."

She looked at me, face unreadable, and nodded before turning and walking away from me.

Seeing her walking away from me, to be honest, made me feel... defeated. I was looking forward to this day, and talking to her and seeing if she was okay, but I guess I didn't anticipate that what happened earlier could happened. It just didn't cross my mind that meeting her could turn out this way.

When I can no longer see her, I decided to just go home as well. I didn't have any reason to stay here, anyway.

I was nearing the exit when I heard an explosion somewhere in the museum.

Chaos ensued: people panicked and started to run to the exit. I got pushed around, and I knew something bad would've happened to me if I hadn't set my wits straight and tried to go with the flow of the people leaving the museum.

I wanted to believe that it was just a coincidence, that Daphne being here and the explosion had no connection. It could be a bomb, or a gas leak explosion. But I somehow knew that that wasn't true. Especially since the Mist around the place started to thicken. Daphne was also nowhere in sight.

When the people exiting the building started to thin out, I tried my best to re-enter the place undetected. Of course, Daphne could've just used a different exit, but I just had to make sure that she was okay. Something tells me that she's still inside.

When the coast was clear, I summoned my _Grimoire_ from the Duat and went to the direction where I heard the explosion. I stayed as near the walls as possible and kept my senses alert in case something would jump at me.

I turned to a corner, and I saw something I didn't expect. They were four figures. Running. To my direction. I recognized them: the Kane siblings, Jaz and Walt. They were running from something.

There was a quick moment of recognition between us, but they didn't stop running. In fact, when they were near enough, Jaz and Carter Kane each grabbed an arm of mine and started dragging me.

Of course I ran, and followed along. The person or thing they were running away from probably had to do something with the explosion that happened earlier. Still, I asked anyway. "Why are we running?"

No one had to answer because I heard thumping sounds, the earth shaking at the same time. I just knew they were big. Monsters probably.

I chanced to look at it, and well... I'm not really _that _surprised. It was a statue, a moving statue of a lion that I think I remember passing by earlier.

I thought it was was weird that they, supposedly badass scribes, couldn't handle an animated statue. But then another statue came out and another followed by another then another one, all different statues.

Before I returned all of my attention to running for my life, I was pretty sure that most of the statues in the museum were chasing us.

Carter then ordered everyone to take a turn, the one that wasn't leading to the exit (make sense since leaving the museum meant leading these statues outside where people could potentially get hurt). We entered the courtyard, where it was wide and open and deserted.

A place where they, badass scribe (I take back the word 'supposedly' in that phrase), could fight.

"Staves everyone." Carter called out, pulling a khopesh from the Duat as the three other magicians summoned their staves from the Duat. I was actually anticipating how an experienced scribe would use a staff in battle since I barely used mine considering I already had my _Grimoire _to act as a conduit to my magic. Though _Grimoires_ aim much worse than staves since the magic would flow from the hand that held my magic book, then to my _Grimoire_, then back to me and is redirected to my other hand, which I then use to direct the flow of the spell. And based on that description, I'm pretty sure you've realized that casting with a _Grimoire_ is much slower too as compared to staves. Meh, I live with it since there really isn't such a thing as perfection, even in magic.

Carter then looked at me. I knew what he was about to say.

"I'm gonna go hide somewhere." I didn't also want to burden them with the knowledge that they had to protect me.

I know what you're thinking, 'You could use magic too, why don't you go help them?'

Sadly, my battle and subsequent loss against Sarah Jacobi was an eye-opening event. No matter how much I think I've grown as a magician, this was 'big boy' stuff. In a higher, much higher, league than my own. I could probably handle a monster, two on a good day, but this was a whole legion of moving statues. Sure I would be with Carter's group, but since Carter doesn't know my abilities, adding myself into the mix would surely put a wrench in whatever strategy they were already employing. Besides, if worse happens, then I could participate in helping because I'm pretty sure the enemy too doesn't know what I can do. Surprise is a nice edge over the enemy, after all.

Not to mention, I haven't been able to make sure that Daphne was alright. I'd need to be in tip-top shape in case she needed help.

I found a spot by some tallish shrubs on the side, and I quickly squatted over there. I had my _Griomoire_ in my hands, and Sarah the wood nymph's power was coursing through my veins, ready to aid them at any moment.

The statues came not a second more after I had hid myself. They weren't even out by the door yet when Sadie, Walt and Jaz yelled "_Ha-di_!" the Egyptian spell that made things explode. Quickly, just like the spell had intended, a good deal of the herd of statues exploded and would never be able to move again.

I was floored. Did they just use magic without the use of a magical conduit? Is this...? Divine Words?

I looked at Carter and I saw him summon this aura around him that solidified and formed something that looked like a bodybuilder with a falcon as a head. Oh and said bodybuilder had held a khopesh nearly three times my height.

A combat avatar.

Oh my God, this is high level magic stuff. Stuff I can only dream of ever achieving.

The towering figure raised its hands and picked up a statue in each hand. Carter's battle avatar then, with a speed that you wouldn't expect from that size, smashed them together and ground them to dust.

Jaz, Walt and Sadie were very liberal with their _Ha-Di_ spells and none of them appeared to be getting tired.

.

They're _amazing_.

.

Though the whole ordeal didn't last long, I was amazed at what these people are able to do.

So this is the Path of the Gods. Their power is scary. Awesome too. But frightening.

When the coast was clear I stood up and ran to them, "That was awesome!" embarrassingly said in my 'fanboy' tone.

Sadie was the first one who dropped their guards when the statues no longer posed a threat. "Theo, right?" Her accent was too cute. "Daphne's friend?"

I nodded.

"What're you doing here?" Carter asked, after releasing his combat avatar.

"I was with someone." I didn't tell them who though.

Jaz sized me up before smiling slyly at me, "Ooh, someone's on a date."

"I'm not!"I shot back, a little to loudly, I think, which made Jaz laugh, Walt and Sadie smirk, and Carter... well... um...

"You should leave now, it's too dangerous being here." I knew this was true, but I'm not sure if Daphne's safe yet, and I had a feeling she was still somewhere here. I won't leave until I'm sure she's okay.

"I know I should, but I haven't found Daphne yet."

...and then I realized that I had slipped.

"You're on a date with Daphne?" Jaz was really grinning smugly now.

* * *

"I know I have no right to ask, but what brings you to this place?" It took me awhile to explain to these people why I was meeting up with her here, and everyone (even Carter) being smug and smirking and teasing me about being on a date and generally annoying didn't make it any easier, but I persevered.

We agreed that while I should stay away from trouble (and me being stubborn that I had to make sure that Daphne was either found and alright, or not here and safe) it would be best if I join them in their... quest here.

Carter and Sadie shared a look, and I recognized it. It was the same look Daphne does when she'd clam up. "We've lost too much time, let's just go and find the damn thing."

So they were looking for something. I wonder what it was. Considering we're in a museum, I'm pretty sure it's a relic or something.

I kept my eyes open for a girl with blonde hair, but alas, I didn't see anyone in the museum. I knew I had no reason to, but I was getting worried.

We stopped by the Egyptian corner of the museum, and I saw that the whole place was trashed.

Carter then ordered the others to search for whatever they were looking for in the wreck. I wanted to slip out from them now, because Daphne wasn't here and I didn't accompany them just to watch them upturn fallen debris. I was just about to slip away when I heard Walt call out everyone. "Guys! I think I found it."

The three quickly ran to him, and I followed because I was curious. I saw that it looked like a book of some sort. Hieroglyphs that I can't read were on the front, and it looked... ancient. Well, duh, but even more older than the ones that I usually see (you know, from Lucas's nome).

Sadie took hold of it. "So, this is it." I was about to look closer when the odd-looking book emitted this dark aura. It sucked all the light out from the room, and I had the distinct feeling that it kind of numbed my senses.

To make matters worse, a large group, and I was taking about at least dozens, of non-human-headed people entered the fray. They charged at us while wielding swords and lances and bows, and I actually think I saw a bazooka among of them.

Sadie, who had dropped the book in surprise, made a sound. I looked at her, and I saw that from the darkness emitting book, a large blob of something appear. And in a frightening voice, like something a kin to a feral roar, a hiss, and laughter, said one word.

.

"_Trapped._"

.

* * *

DISCLAIMER:** The following is a work of FICTION**

**The events, characters and names are fictional and/or derived from real mythology**

**and the Percy Jackson and Kane Chronicles series are owned by Rick Riordan**

**By writing this fanfic, no offense is intended to anyone**

* * *

**A/N:** I know, it's too obvious that Aphrodite was the waitress. But of course, we know she's just being her shippy self, she does _like_ tragic couples - and weirdly, Theo and Daphne look like one. Also, the last chapter for this arc would be the next chapter. After that, well let's just say Theo would have a weird man!crush (but not in a slashy way, of course) with a certain Seaweed Brain, if they'd ever meet.


	23. Final Chapter

Title: _**My Hard to Believe Mythological Experience**_

Chapter 23: Battle in the Museum

* * *

To be an _**Einherjar**_

a hero must die a most _noble_ and selfless death.

A _**valkyrie**_ chooses her _**einherjar**_

but what happens when her current incarnation is _incomplete_?

* * *

Carter's team had good reflexes, and an even better reaction time; when the enemies have arrived, Carter spared no time and had immediately surrounded himself in his combat avatar.

"Everyone," he said, his voice louder because of his form, "brace yourselves."

The figure that had emerged from the book, after taunting us that he had trapped us, sunk back into the book and destroyed it by turning the relic into dust.

Sadie had quickly gotten over the shock and had summoned multiple pillars of ice. She used her staff to guide them as the huge spikes were hurled to the direction of the monsters.

They dropped like flies, popping like bubbles, as their sand covered the floor.

It was chaos, with Carter destroying walls with his huge figure and Sadie, Walt and Jaz casting magic far beyond my capacity.

Still, they were outnumbered. And they needed help._ My_ help.

Quickly, I unleashed the powers I had with my Elemental Pact. The ground rumbled and cracked, and from the cracks, emerged thick trunks of trees. With a wave of my hand, the tree trunks started flailing nearby monsters. Some were even impaling monsters with its pointed ends. I also called forth the prewritten runes and hieroglyphs I had written in my Grimoire, in the case something like this would happen, and unleashed them to the monsters. Weaker versions of _Ha-di_ spells, and such things, that the others were doing.

I may not be as awesome as these scribes, but I can stand on my own.

"Theo!" I felt a back being pressed into mine, it was Sadie Kane, "Wha-"

"Questions later," Walt hissed, nearing us, a huge wooden lion guarding his back. Transfigured his staff, I just knew it. And if we weren't fighting for our lives, I would've been full of awe at it because the wooden lion looked so real.

I nodded, "Monsters first."

We fought the monsters left and right, and despite their numbers and their surprise attack, we were gaining the momentum. Together, we filled the room with sandy dust.

Everything was doing fine until I noticed something.

The monsters, these weird-headed people, whilst easily dropping like flies, were reforming far too quickly.

Jaz noticed it too because she ran to us, yelling about it.

I knew this wasn't good since while their numbers were thinning, they reforming would mean that this skirmish was turning into a battle of endurance. One that would likely end with us losing because we were beginning to tire.

Like, I saw Carter's avatar flickered for a moment. I knew that wasn't good.

"We need to retreat," Sadie voiced out, pointing her staff at the direction of the exit and letting fire emerge from its tip. The enemies guarding the exit was reduced to ashes and she ordered us out of the place.

"Carter!" she called out to the huge form, "we have to go, now! We can't take any more of this."

The falcon head from Carter's combar avatar nodded, and used a huge arm to swipe across the room, further clearing the exit from monsters.

Immediately, I used Sarah's power to summon thick trees, extending as high as the ceiling, to barricade the way my companions have made against the enemies.

As fast as we could, we ran to the exit, Carter being the last because he watched our backs as we made our leave with his huge figure.

If you think we were safe, then you're very mistaken. We entered the hallway to find another wave of monsters waiting for us there.

How the hell did these much people appear out of nowhere? And were they not noticed?

..._Mist_?

But this much? With out being detected? That's highly unlikely.

Then again, the nearby Per Ankh nome, the one that Lucas headed, tasked with containing monster hordes in their surrounding area, has just been destroyed recently.

But still...

Sadie let out a _Ha-di _spell and obliterated a huge chunk of the enemy waves. We then used that moment of enemy confusion to run for our lives. Unfortunately, a new wave of enemy monsters started to chase after us. They were... how do I explain it... big cats with snake heads. Actually, it looked like a big cat with literally a meter-long snake attached for a head.

"Serpopards!" Jaz called out, transforming her staff into a huge buffalo that smashed them. It didn't kill them, merely pushing them as they pursued us, but it was a distraction that was precious to us in our escape.

They chased after us, and due to being four-legged creatures, managed to catch up to us. Far too quickly, might I add.

"To the courtyard!" Carter yelled, taking the turn leading there. When we got to the place, we found Daphne, and three other people, fighting a mixture of the weird-headed people and the serpopards.

"Daphne!" I sped up to her, summoning vines from the ground and ensnaring a monster that would've attacked her from behind.

"Theo?" she saw the monster entangled in the vine and then me, "What're you-"

"Ah, the cavarly's arrived." The young man from the cafe, the one who was wearing that ridiculous pinwheel hat, looked at us smugly. He held a long bow and was hurling arrows at the monsters at amazing speed and precision. So he really was Daphne's einherjar. Though, to be honest, he would've looked cooler if he hadn't worn that stupid hat.

"What're you doing here?" Daphne and I asked to each other at the same time.

"I was worried about you." we answered, also at the same time. I felt my cheeks flush, and I swear she was blushing just the same.

"Guys," Jaz's voice was heard from the ongoing chaos, I then realized that she was talking to me (and Daphne), "much as I like seeing you two together, and really, I do, but monster's first. Chat later."

That snapped Daphne and I into our battle stances.

"But what do we do about them reforming too fast?" I asked aloud, using Sarah's powers to summon more tree trunks from the ground. Daphne's eyes were wide from awe as she saw me doing that, and somehow that made me... happy.

I smiled and met her eyes.

.

Her eyes shifted to purple

.

"This place has far too much Chaos. We need to purify it. We need Order." This was no longer Daphne, but the Valkyrie inside of her. She blinked and her eyes were back to its green color again.

"You heard her, Carter," Sadie then said something that I couldn't quite hear. Whatever she said upset her brother because Carter vehemently disagreed.

"No, Sadie, it's too dangerous."

"But there's no other way." Sadie said, using her boomerang-like wand to summon a shield that deflected a sword being hurled at her.

Walt and Jaz regrouped near the two siblings, and they also voiced out their concerns, both agreeing that whatever Sadie planned to do was dangerous.

"You're too tired, Sadie. It's dangerous, and..." Jaz started, but was cut as she yelled the _kemetic_ spell for 'away' that sent three monsters nearing her hurling a few meters away.

"No Sadie, we can't make our situation any more tragic that it already is." Walt told to Sadie.

I didn't know what they were talking about, but... if it's lack of power, I had the means to replenish Sadie's energy. Though, I'm not sure my two day's worth of magic is able to supplement whatever it is they wanted to do.

If only I hadn't fought against Sarah Jacobi back then, then I'm sure Sadie would have more power, but I guess I shouldn't stress over the spilled milk too much.

A group of those serpopards attacked the four, scattering them. Sadie somehow ended up near me and Daphne.

She looked at her companions, "It's not your choice to make." Sadie turned to Daphne, "I'll do it. I'll call forth Order." she closed her eyes and the symbol of Isis formed on her forehead.

.

"I'll call forth Ma'at."

.

She opened them a second later and turned to us, "Cover me, will you? I'll be concentrating."

The three scribes screamed their frustration, but couldn't get near us because they had their own share of monsters to deal with.

Daphne looked at her, stabbing a serpopard and kicking it as it exploded into sand, "Are you sure about this?"

Sadie, not unlike herself, nodded surely, "There's no other way."

Daphne bowed her head, "As you wish, Your Grace." She then turned to her three einherjar and ordered,_ commanded_, them to protect Sadie. A pretty female knight carrying a falchion and a buckler took Sadie's north, a long-haired brawny young man who used punches and kicks guarded Sadie's east, Daphne stationed herself into Sadie's south, and the archer einherjar stayed near Sadie and kept the monsters from the west at bay.

I joined up and decided to do my part from Sadie's west, much to the amusement of the archer einherjar. We kept up a tight perimeter between Sadie and the enemies but I know something was happening to Sadie. She looked tired, too tired, and I had a feeling that she was starting to use her very Life Force to supplement her lack of energy.

Damn it, I forgot to give her my energy reserves.

How stupid of me...

I ran to her, telling the archer beside her to watch the west, and opened a small portal from the Duat. I withdrew my marker from it and grabbed Sadie's arm.

"Hey, Theo, what're you-" she watched as I wrote an inscription on her arm.

"Trust me." I simply told her.

I wrote a simple phrase in runes of both Lucas' and Clemence's teachings. I didn't doubt myself, which was unnerving because I've never done this before. I mean, I have only theorized this, but like I said, I have never felt so surer in my life.

_Kemetic_ magic was more on imposing the caster's will and logic into the universe, while Clemence's brand was more on using the _universe_'s structure or the universe's will itself to direct whatever it is that you wanted. It's easier to do _kemetic_ magic because with your power, if it's strong enough, will impose upon the Cosmos whatever it is you wanted to do. It is your _right _being a creature born from the Cosmos, after all. With that said, the magic Clemence taught meant that by harnessing what the universe already had, you could produce something on a much stronger scale since you're merely guiding the universe's will and power to do what you wanted to do. It is harder, then, because, much as we tried, going against the flow of the will imposed by the universe is very hard and the amount of concentration to do it is enormous.

But that is to say that Clemence's magic can never be as damaging as _kemetic_ magic because the magic taught by Clemence aims to achieve minimum entropy, or to maintain Balance, so attacking spells would be more devastating in the _kemetic_ script.

I wanted to recharge Sadie's energy using my reserves, to add my power to hers, and the universe would never accept that type of logic. The lending of magic-such a union is considered bad because you (the caster) are forcing your logic into the will of another creature.

...you're not getting my drift, aren't you?

Think of it like this; me imposing my magic into Sadie's system would be like donating a blood type A to a blood type B person. It's also like trying to mix oil and water. One way or another, it would reject it, or worse, fight it with the already insufficient energy levels she has in her system. Like her immune system battling a fever, if you will.

But that is to say, in our sciences, if we have a catalyst that would ease the blending... well...

In order to remedy the body's natural reaction to foreign magic, I had to do this. Though, granted, I had to use a theoretical method that would, hopefully, give my energies to Sadie Kane.

So what is it that I wrote?

If I were to read it to you, it wouldn't make much sense, but with a bit of translation, and I mean the roughest translation, I came up with this:

.

"For there is a bond

in a friendship of Order

and that is magic."

.

Awful _haiku_, really, but it's what I had to work with.

This is the fruit of my research. And it cannot fail me. Should not fail me.

"What's this?" she asked. I hovered my hand above script I wrote and the writings began to glow.

My magic was being transferred into Sadie. A magic circle that was filled with runes, hieroglyphs and lots of symbols I cannot decipher appeared on the floor we were stepping on.

"This is..." she looked at me, "Theo."

With her energy being replenished, I placed both my hands over her shoulders (so that we'd share the magical backlash of whatever spell she had been intending to do-I am looking out for her safety, after all) and stepped behind her. My Grimoire floated in front of her, opening, and its pages, infinite in its number, turning, as the energy stored there transferred to her.

.

"Now, Sadie."

.

She nodded and concentrated.

I could feel Sadie's magic, and her intent too, flow into my body. I could feel a power so foreign, so powerful and so frightening that I felt tears welling up in my eyes. I felt my entire body burn with her will and magic. I know I should be scared, but I tried to be strong for her. And for a moment, I felt like an extension of her magic. Of her.

The last thing I saw, before everything was a flash of white light, was Sadie, and (oddly) me, yelling one word.

.

_"Ma'at!"_

.

* * *

"What was that you just did there?" I asked to Sadie as she tried to compose herself, taking heavy breathes after she'd just puked. Apparently, according to her, I was handling the backlash better that her.

The spell she just did was so powerful that I was sent hurling a couple of feet away from her. Ended up getting unconscious too, I should add.

When I came to, I was staring at the Daphne's worried face, me lying down on the floor, the battle apparently over.

I knew Sadie called forth Ma'at, one of the oldest forms of Order. I knew about that. I also knew she had used Divine Words to do it.

Don't mistake me, though. Sure, I was surprised (and thankful) at what she had done, but..

.

Was it really _Ma'at _Sadie had summoned?

.

Her spell had brought forth a blinding light. So bright that I feared that my very being might end up burning from it's majesty. The spell just about obliterated everything associated with Chaos too: the monsters were all reduced to Cosmic sand that lay scattered everywhere. They didn't look like they were reforming soon, so everyone was happy about that. What's also surprising was the trunks that I had summoned, the ice Sadie had conjured up, the earth the other scribes had brought up, and everything else we had conjured up to fight the monsters were gone.

If I hazard a guess, we turned the place to what it originally was before the magical chaos. Though the museum was still trashed: there were still the holes where the tree trunks had sprout out from, the walls and windows were still obliterated, and the burn marks were still there.

The scribe in question answered what I was thinking, "That wasn't _Ma'at_." Sadie whispered, still shaking from the spell she had cast. She's doing fine now, at least as compared to five minute ago.

What exactly am I taking about?

Five minutes ago, static was dancing all around her body, crackling like an vibrant tesla coil, as tears flowed from her eyes,

"Excuse me?"

"Isis," she tapped her index fingers over her temples, "hasn't been so... speechless before. Whatever we did back there a moment ago, even the gods themselves have trouble doing it."

You know, a while ago, I had seen the faintest symptoms of a nervous breakdown on Sadie's psyche, and fortunately that never happened. Much to my relief.

"What did you do to her?" Carter came to her sister's defense, this close to actually pounding me. The three of us were huddled together as the others checked if the sand was piling up and reforming to the monsters that they originally were.

"Shut up, Carter." Sadie told him, trying to stand up. Carter turned to her sister, worried. She ignored it and stared at the writing on her arm, "This is... different."

"It's symbology." I told her.

"I recognize some of the writing here, but there's some things that I..." she shook her head and composed herself, "It's brilliant. Isis is praising you inside my head, apparently."

I pressed a finger writing, and the writing just melted away.

"She's telling me that, while it's been so long she's seen summoning like that, it wasn't Divine Words." she pursed her lips, "And she's gone." she told me, irritated, "And just when I had asked her what exactly it was that we did."

Carter looked at he, "Are you okay? Really?"

She nodded, using her staff as a walking aid, "I'll be fine." She looked at me, "Theo... that was... that magic you did, who taught you that?"

"My teachers."

* * *

"He helped facilitate the summoning of a concept. A _concept_." Isis laughed with glee as she told two other divine beings of what she had seen through Sadie Kane's eyes. The three were on the plane of magic, a dimension not far from the Duat, where their reign was close to supreme, and away from the prying eyes and ears of other gods.

"Interesting..." Freya nodded, "So this is what that mortal is capable of." She looked at the two others, "For someone with only a subpar magical capacity to make such a feat with only a three line runic incantation... Makes you wonder what that dream god's up to, right?"

"Considering that boy had summoned something so abstract..." Hecate looked at them, "his carmic destiny must've been multiplied ten-no... a thousand fold, at least, due to our meddling."

"Yes, and not a lot of mortals are able to grasp such information. Conceptual magic _is_ for the insane after all." Freya shrugged, "I wonder how long it would take before the knowledge, or the thirst for it, would consume him?"

Isis tilted her head, "Please, he's different from that mortal Faust, we made sure of it."

Hecate's eyebrow's rose, "You seem to have too much faith in a mortal, and an ordinary one, at that."

"Well, he helped a godling studying my Path ascend a higher plane of magic." Isis shrugged and nonchalantly said, "I give him the credit that he deserves."

"He broke her mental seal?"

Isis shook her head, "Nope, merely poked a hole in it. And it's more than enough considering I have a feeling that Sadie Kane is going to need it in the future, when's she's actually going to _properly _summon _Ma'at_. I know that what Sadie Kane is capable of would overshadow what Hatshepsut ever did back in the day. She _is_ her mother's daughter after all."

"Yes, Ruby Kane was one of the best magi users of this millenia. The blood that runs in her daughter's veins are not to be trifled with." Hecate told them.

"In any case, how's the boy's tutelage?" Freya said, "A handmaiden of mine has already started tutoring him in the arts of _my_ arcane. She even tells me that he possesses his own Grimoire."

Isis looked thoughtful, "I saw him command prewritten hieroglyphs using that book of his so I guess he at least knows the basics of _my_ magic. But then again, any Divine Path he would follow from my pantheon would be detrimental to his maximal growth, so I guess the ordinary scribe's tutelage would be the one to him. I wonder who taught him magic? I need to make arrangements that the boy would continue learning from us Egyptians."

The two women looked at Hecate, said woman looked back at them, "Not to worry, ladies, I've got the right one in mind to teach him _my_ magic."

"Still," Freya looked bothered, "for a mortal to learn physical, metaphysical and abstract conceptual magic..."

* * *

"Teachers?" Carter asked.

I nodded, "You probably know one of them, Lucas of the 87th Nome." Carter and Sadie looked at me, mindly intrigued, "Really?"

Carter tilted his head, "I am actually not surprised that Lucas broke Per Ankh protocol. He's very traditional, after all."

I smiled sheepishly, "Well first, I had to nag him. A lot."

Sadie laughed, walking towards the group. I was about to follow suit when Carter stopped me.

"I don't trust you."

"I-"

"Save it," he cut off, "you've helped us, and for that I am thankful. But that doesn't mean that I trust you. I don't." He had a deep thoughtful look on his face, "Horus might be influencing me, or maybe he isn't, but I don't know if I could trust you." He chuckled mirthlessly, "Horus is torn between wanting to stay as far away from you and wanting to kick your butt."

I was about to reply but Daphne's einherjar, Michael or the guy with the pinwheel hat, bounce up to my direction.

"Theo, my man!" he slung his arm over my neck, which was ridiculous because I was almost a foot taller than him and he had to jump to sling his arm over me, "Dude! That was so awesome! Summoning those tree trunks and that thing with that kemetic chick," he let out a low whistle.

"Be careful of what you call my sister," Carter's eyes turned into slits.

Michael merely smiled at him, "My bad." He turned back to me, "Seriously, though, you'd give a Demeter demigod a run for his money."

He then dragged me to the rest of the group, harassing me by asking too many questions. Luckily, Daphne saw my plight and willed Michael to vanish.

Sadie looked at Daphne, "I see you've been busy."

"As do you, your Grace." Daphne bowed.

The younger girl placed a hand over her hip, "What did I tell you about calling me that?"

The two girls shared a laugh before Carter came to us, "So what now? The book's been destroyed."

"And this is our third one too." Jaz added.

Carter eyed all the damage we've done and sighed, "We should regroup. There's a Nome close by, the 87th Nome. We could take refuge there."

"Um..." I butted in, "I would advice against it."

Carter's brow rose, "Why?"

"Because the 87th Nome is no more." I told them.

* * *

"My son is alive?"

In the majestic hall of Valhalla, Iris, Greek goddess of rainbows, knelt as an emissary for her husband, "Yes and no, my lord."

The court had burst into murmurs upon said goddess' new information. That Balder is alive, after being slain by the trickster god.

"Is he not in Hel's jurisdiction?" A god, one-eyed, asked among the loud murmuring.

Iris tilted his head, "Most of his essences, yes, but Morpheus, the Dream God, took a portion of his light and left it in the Realm of Dreams and Subconsciousness."

"I need to see him!" Balder's father standing up on his throne.

"I believe that is not wise, my lord."

"Why is seeing my son not wise, goddess?" the King of the Hall spat, raising a spear so majestic that Iris thought it was comparable to the Keeper of Time's scythe. Iris looked to the side, and he saw what appeared to be a blind god tied to a wall.

"He is... raw, your majesty. He has yet to produce a corporal form, and surely even you know how intruding that is; to see a god for what he truly is, concept and theory and all." Iris looked at him, iridescent eyes shining with resolve. "On the plus side, you don't have to kill your own son for the revenge of the other."

"But if you want, I can open a hotline. To call him, I mean. I am the Messenger Goddess from my pantheon after all." She smiled not like the goddess that she was, "All I need is a golden coin. I'm pretty sure an attendant of mine would be able to convert your currency with ours in a most reasonable matter."

Nobody moved, all eyes settled on the goddess who was, earlier, holding herself in a regal aura.

* * *

With Daphne and Sadie manipulating the Mist, the group exited the museum without so much as a fuss from the assembled police and fire department.

"...you're not lying?" Walt asked in disbelief.

I nodded, "Yes, Sarah Jacobi attacked the Nome two days ago."

When we were away from the general crowd assembled outside of the museum, I decided to follow Carter's advice. I pointed the general direction where Lucas and his family was currently staying, which was a hotel nearby, and bade them goodbye.

"You're leaving?" Jaz asked.

"Yeah," I smiled at her, "I've had enough action for one day."

I nodded to everyone there before turning around and going back to the direction of the museum.

I figured, since we had wrecked the place, it was our responsibility to fix the damages. After all, I did know of a _kemetic_ spell that could fix destroyed objects, though it would be a long and arduous, but I at least should try. I mean, I could fix a couple of their priceless display pieces, right? I did have a little bit more power left in me.

I didn't know how to manipulate the _Mist_, so I had to be stealthy in getting back inside the building.

"What're you doing?" I jumped from the voice behind me.

It was Daphne, "What'd you do that for?" I didn't like being surprised like that. That's why I never liked watching suspenseful horror movies.

She laughed.

I composed myself and started walking again, Daphne tried to match my pacing and walked beside me, "You haven't really answered my question."

I looked at her, "Damage control." I looked at the assembled on-lookers and tried to see if there were blind spots that I could exploit from the perimeter the police had erected.

"What?"

"I'm going back in," I pointed to the ruined museum.

"Why?"

"_Hi-nehm._" I simply told her.

She took a few seconds to get what I meant, "Oh, so you're trying to fix the mess."

I looked at her, "Wha-"

"Gold told me what that spell does."

"Gold?"

"You know... the _other_ me." she said.

I think I saw a way in. It was a smallish hole that wasn't really guarded by the police. As quietly as possible, went to it and sized it up if I could enter it.

I know, I should probably ask Daphne is she could manipulate the _Mist_ around us, but I didn't want to ask such a request from her. I don't know, I feel like I'd burden her if I asked.

Looking back, I saw that Daphne was following me, and I just really wanted to point it out.

"I was bored."

I tilted my head, walking to assess the damage that I could repair. There was a painting that was destroyed nearby so I cast the _Hi-nehm_ spell. Gently, because I didn't want to repair it too pristinely, it'll look suspicious after all, finding the piece in its best shape after all these chaos.

"You could be having a better time with Sadie and the others." I told her after taking a few deep breaths, casting the spell took a lot from me, even if my magical energy input was already minimized.

"I could, but I'm here now, aren't I?" she grinned at me.

This Daphne was different, I noticed. She was more outgoing and more sure of herself.

I smiled lopsidedly, "That you are." There was a relic nearby that had failed to the floor, and I picked it up. It was some ornate vase. I didn't know if it was part of the museum, but I just fixed it just in case.

I continued doing this for a couple of minutes, with Daphne trailing right behind me. I figured she'd get bored and leave, I mean earlier, before all the chaos, she seemed like she didn't want anything to do with me.

But she didn't leave.

And that made me... self-conscious.

And it showed on the things that I were repairing, there was a display sword that I had fixed using a little too much magic. Thus, it looked brand new. And thus, I had almost dried up my magical energy.

"Now that's just great." I picked up the sharp sword and looked at it.

Daphne giggled, "Now they'll _really_ wonder what happened here." Finding an ancient sword to not look ancient would really be suspicious.

"Here," I handed it to her.

But she shook her head, "I have all that I need," she pointed it at the bracelet-changing sword of her.

I sighed, and opened a Duat portal. "I guess I'd have to take it with me." I threw the sword in portal while pulling my Grimoire from it.

I checked if it still had magic in it, and was glad that there was a little more magic left in it. After recharging my energy, I hurriedly went to the next area. It was the place where Carter's group and I got ambushed.

The whole place was thrashed. Well, worse that the other rooms and I figured most of the relics here would be nonredeemable. But still, I checked.

I wasn't even that far from the entrance when I felt a spike in the surrounding latent energies.

Everything happened far too quickly. A portal formed on the floor, but unlike the _kemetic_ portal which had sand it it, it was all white and black colors. If I had seen a blackhole face to face it would probably look like this. Alas, the portal appeared to suck us.

I was caught off guard and was not able to hold onto anything. Fortunately, Daphne grabbed my arm before I got sucked into the blackhole.

"What's going on?" I yelled, for the blackhole was generating too much noise, like a million thunders were sounding simultaneously.

She didn't seem to hear me because what she wasn't an answer, "Hold-on!"

I'd found out that after this incident, the whole museum would be, according to my fellow mortals, swallowed by a huge sinkhole.

Debris were being sucked into the portal and I knew if nothing would be done, it would get both me and Daphne. Her grip on whatever she was holding on was loosening.

I had to do something.

_think... think..._

My Grimoire had flown into the portal, so I didn't have any medium to use in closing the portal.

Unless...

I looked at Daphne, "Let me go."

She looked at me like I grew an extra head, "Are you crazy?"

I shook my head, "I have a plan."

"Does it involve you getting sucked into that thing?" She yelled as the pull of the portal got stronger.

"I've got to try."

"I won't let you get sucked into my world." She gripped my hand tighter.

"Now's not the time to be poetic, Daphne." I smiled at her. I tried to break free from her grip.

A small rock collided with her arm and her grip slipped. "Besides," the confusion was enough for me to budge from her grasp and get pulled by the portal.

.

_'you're worth it.'_

.

I didn't know if I was capable of this, but I had to try.

Focusing all of my remaining magic, I channelled all of my focus into a single word.

.

The Divine Word for "close."

.

* * *

DISCLAIMER:** The following is a work of FICTION**

**The events, characters and names are fictional and/or derived from real mythology**

**and the Percy Jackson and Kane Chronicles series are owned by Rick Riordan**

**By writing this fanfic, no offense is intended to anyone**


	24. Epilogue

Title: _**My Hard to Believe Mythological Experience**_

Epilogue: The End of the Start

* * *

To be an _**Einherjar**_

a hero must die a most _noble_ and selfless death.

A _**valkyrie**_ chooses her _**einherjar**_

but what happens when her current incarnation is _incomplete_?

* * *

"I'm worried." In Mount Olympus, Hestia was consoling a bothered Harmonia. "I haven't seen my sister since that time when she took off in a hurry."

"Is all of her Divinity gone?"

Harmonia nodded, "Yes, I even went to Iris' company to see her personally, but Eris wasn't in her office." She looked at the child-like Goddess of the Hearth, "Not only that, with her not around, Chaos is being facilitated in a faster rate." Not many knew that Eris, while being an extension of Chaos, was of the alignment of good.

In fact, her reason for igniting the Trojan War was because of _causality_. And the need to balance out Chaos and Order. Not because of some stupid 'she wasn't invited' tripe. The goddess was ruthless, but not shallow.

Together, they were tasked with maintaining _entropy_, and with Eris not around, well, the Balance was starting to be upset.

"Have you talked to other divinities of her alignment?" Hestia was aware that the two sisters were the few Olympian gods who maintained good connections with inter-pantheon gods of their ward.

"The Eastern Storm, Susano'o is stirring up trouble because of his missing sister and Horus tells me that Set has been missing."

Hestia looked at her, "That's peculiar. Especially since Amaterasu also represents what you represent."

Harmonia nodded, "I'm beginning to think something's going on here."

"Do you think it's my mother pulling the strings?"

Harmonia shook her head 'no', "Something bigger that _her_, because I'm sure the Old Earth" the two goddesses felt the ground rumble, but they were already unnerved to begin with, "would never do something that would upset the Great Balance; she is a manifestation of creation. Doing something that would upset the balance would be against her essence."

Hestia took a while to be able to digest what Harmonia has just said, "...so, what now?"

The Harmony's Hymn shrugged, "I do what I can."

"I'll help you look for your sister," Hestia said, but Harmonia disagreed vehemently.

"No, if you begin poking around, more people are going to notice, and goodness knows how Zeus will react once he smells a whiff of all brewing the chaos."

"But..."

Harmonia cut her, "Do not worry, I'll manage." She saw Hestia's disbelief, "I already talked to a few other gods of discord. The Hall's Trickster is already helping me with the Chaos." _But working with him is unnerving to begin with_, Harmonia thought, but she didn't want Hestia to worry.

She smiled at the Goddess of Hearth, "I'll be fine."

And with that Harmonia left.

_There was a Norse godling that came into the camp sometime ago_, Hestia thought.

.

It couldn't be a coincidence

.

* * *

When I opened my eyes, I knew that I had gotten sucked by the portal. Luckily, I saw that the side where Daphne was located was closing so I think it worked. My first, and probably last, time doing Divine Words worked.

I wonder if this portal was leading to something?

A few seconds more, I saw the end of the tunnel. It was a small star at first, but then it grew in size, shining a light so bright I had to close my eyes.

The next thing I knew, I had collided with something.

"Wha-oompf!"

Figures I'd hit someone. I didn't risk opening my eyes at first, for the fear that vertigo would overcome me. But there were... erm... hissing sounds nearing us.

I slowly opened my eyes, and a young man with dark hair and eyes whose color was something that I've seen from the sea. I don't really remember the last time I had went to the beach, but his eyes definitely remind me of the sea.

He was intimidating, not just because he was fit and tall, but also in those eyes of his that tells the looker that he's seen the worst of the world. Also, he looked... rattled and irritable.

"I'm sorry." I said, suddenly fearing for my life. This young man could break me like a twig. I know it.

He didn't say anything, because his line of sight shifted to the direction where the hissing sounds were heard.

I looked and...

.

Gorgons

.

Two of them.

Damn it.

* * *

DISCLAIMER:** The following is a work of FICTION**

**The events, characters and names are fictional and/or derived from real mythology**

**and the Percy Jackson and Kane Chronicles series are owned by Rick Riordan**

**By writing this fanfic, no offense is intended to anyone**

* * *

**A/N**: So, yeah... epilogue. Thanks for reading everyone! Here's a preview its sequel: The Hero No One Knows. The events of the sequel will overlap the 'Son of Neptune' storyline. Overlap, okay? Something things would change, while some things would stay the same.

* * *

**PREVIEWS:**

"It wasn't the Oracle in me that saw your death, Theo." Rachel Dare said, looking at me seriously, "It was me. And it's scaring me."

* * *

"We'll keep the gates of hell closed," Luke Castellan had stabbed a monstrosity that was trying to emerge from the gate, beside him were Selena Beauregard and Charles Beckendorf were doing the same. "Tell that to Thalia," He impaled his sword on another monster, "Also, tell her," he said as he pushed me out, "I'm sorry." And Charlie and Selena closed the portal.

* * *

"So, it's a dozen of us against a whole demonic legion." Daphne told us, her smile more beautiful in the gore of the battlefield, "I actually like those odds."


End file.
